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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26571112">A New Lease On Life</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/spazhime/pseuds/spazhime'>spazhime</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anxiety, Depression, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Flashbacks, Mention of Death, Mention of Killing, Multi Chapter, PTSD, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Reader Romance, Reader is NOT a damsel, Slow Burn, Soulmate AU, Souls, Underswap AU, at first at least, but its gonna be a slowburn so hold tight, fic has been edited to allow for easier reading, mention of suicide, near suicidal act, rating will be updated when smut happens, reader has an adorable pet snake btw, reader is unnamed, soul color, stretch is awkward, underswap - Freeform, will add more tags</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:55:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>50,339</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26571112</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/spazhime/pseuds/spazhime</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>They are out of the underground, at long last. Chara has done the impossible and freed the monsters without having to give up their own soul. With the monsters free, how will the humans react? Toriel knows they need an ambassador, but Chara just seems too young to be doing it on their own, not to mention the child is mute. With this in mind, Toriel allows a few select humans to enter the camp, planning to choose an ambassador herself. But what will happen when the unknowing Stretch happens to find his soul mate, without realizing it?<br/>A slowburn reader/Stretch fic.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Papyrus/Reader, Stretch/reader, US! papyrus/reader, US! sans/OC, US! undyne/US! alhpys, Underswap Papyrus/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>118</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is the first multi chapter fic I've written in.. Man, probably ten years or so? Please be gentle on my story telling prowess, I look to improve as time goes on. Please enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Edited chapter to fix some inconsistencies.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You wake up to an odd, sudden pulling feeling in your chest. Not anything bad per se’, but something attaching? Almost? Something that feels like it should have been there before, but wasn’t. You aren’t exactly sure what it is, but what you are sure of is that you nearly forget the feeling as your house starts shaking, picture frames coming off the wall, the entire house rattling. A loud, thunderous boom continues the shaking of your house and you cry out as you fall off the bed and onto the floor.<br/>
<br/>
Rather than worrying about yourself, your first thought is to your beloved pet snake. She is in her enclosure on the other side of your room, and while the enclosure is sturdy you aren’t sure how much force it can take if something were to fall directly on it. Stumbling, you make your way to that side of the room. The power has gone out at some point from the tremors, so there's no light to help you make your way across the room. Luckily the tremors cease, and you can pick your way to the cage. Spaghetti, your pure white ball python, is curiously sticking her head out of her hiding spot, flicking her tongue. Sighing in relief, you go back to your bed and find your phone to check social media. It's likely more things will be posted there than on the news this early on.</p><p>Logging on to facespace, the first thing you think is “Oh stars the trolls are at it already”. Blurry pictures of the side of Mt. Ebott, showing a giant gaping hole in the mountain with.. Some sort of creatures walking out of it. It's difficult to see because of the darkness of the photos, taken just now in the early hours of morning, but you think you see a couple big white fluffy things standing upright like people, and immediately scroll down with a scoff. “Why do people have to make jokes about this, it could be serious” you mumble. But as you scroll, you see more and more pictures of the hole in the mountain. More and more photos of these odd looking creatures. The most prominent ones are the largest, the fluffy ones you first saw in the blurry photos. Scrolling down a bit more brings up a shitty cellphone video, seems like it's showing the end of a conversation.<br/>
<br/>
A large, *very* large white, fluffy creature is speaking to someone out of shot. The voice coming from the creature is feminine, but stern“... yes, that is correct. Chara here helped us break the magical barrier that has been up, that has kept us trapped for more than a thousand years. We do not mean any harm at all, we just wished to escape our prison. Now that it’s finally happened, all we want is to live a life of peace. Make friends with the humans and…” the video is cut off there. Seems law enforcement has gotten to the scene and is stopping all unauthorized video. ‘Well,’ you think, ‘this is going to be really interesting’. Might as well try to get a bit more rest so you can mentally deal with this in the morning.</p><p>*<br/>
___________________________________________</p><p>Queen Toriel is very, very tired. She’s been talking to political ‘officials’ all night and early morning, but they were speaking to her like she is a child. Have humans really been so out of touch from their past that they’ve never heard of another species being fully sentient before? She sighs, and places her face in her hands. She wished Asgore was here, by her side. He’d always been better with communication and other political affairs. Heaving another sigh, she tries to let that train of thought go. It was her fault Gorey left in the first place. That was then, and this is now, she’s got to get her head on straight if she wants her subjects to be able to integrate into human society peacefully.<br/>
<br/>
She’s had to answer a ridiculous amount of questions about her species in just the last 24 hours. The most popular of course, being “How does magic work?”. That’s the thing though, they aren’t quite sure how it DOES work. All they know is that they are made of it, it comes from their souls (another thing the human leaders question, are monsters religious? No, souls are physical) and they can manifest it into attacks or other forms of communication.</p><p>She thinks of Chara, who’s by Asgores side trying their damndest to make peace between the humans and monsters. They have claimed the title of ambassador between humans and monsters, but they are only 10 years old. Too young by human standard to have such an important role. As much as she admires the child, what they really need is an adult human who will treat them as equals to stand as their ambassador.<br/>
<br/>
They just got to the surface, and not a single human who has come to talk to them has been willing to really get to know them. They only seem to care about their powers, how they survived in the mountain, and the questions only get more invasive from there. She has even been outright asked how monsters reproduce! She shakes her head at the thought, luckily her right hand skeleton had diverted the question. Papyrus, though he prefers to go by Stretch, had deflected the question with a pun. He had gestured a hand at a vegemite and stated “well, i cant imagine how we re*produce* is any of your business.” winking at the person during the bad pun. Toriel had rolled her eyes, but the statement had gotten the person to back off of the question.</p><p>Sighing one last time, she lays down in her tent to go to bed for the night. Asriel has already gone to sleep, and she thinks about how she wishes Gorey, Chara, and Frisk were here with her and Asriel. She tries not to think about her first adopted child, how they had gotten killed alongside their friend Monsterkid, while attempting to free all the monsters from the mountain.<br/>
<br/>
The two of them had been too brave for their own good, and she only wishes they could have lived full lives. MK’s parents had been devastated, and the loss of her adopted child had caused Toriel to make the biggest mistake of her life. She resolves herself to find an ambassador to help them alongside Chara as soon as possible. For now, she resigns herself to sleep for what's left of the night.<br/>
___________________________________________</p><p>You manage to fall back asleep after an hour or so, thoughts filled with the events of the night. Your dreams are filled with shapeless colors. Oranges, blues, and different shades of white. As your eyes open and you adjust from the world of sleep to the world of wakefulness, your mind immediately fills with curiosity. Was last night just a dream?? Pulling out your phone you find out that no, it absolutely was not. Scrolling a bit further this time, you find some official footage of the new creatures on a few different news channels. Apparently they are calling themselves ‘Monsters’.<br/>
<br/>
“Monsters huh? Guess that's where we got the word, if they’ve actually been locked up for a thousand years. Sad that we used their species name to scare kids into behaving” You put your phone back down, lean up, and stretch for the morning. You stand up and grab your favorite pair of pants, the jeans with the galaxy print, along with a simple black blouse. After getting dressed and brushing your hair, you go over to Spaghettis enclosure and check the temperature, humidity, and water bowl. With everything in ship shape, you blow your beloved pet a kiss and head out the door.</p><p>First stop of the day, caffeine. Coffee is usually your first choice, something ridiculously sweet to get your day started. Heading to the local coffee shop, you walk in and are immediately recognized by the barista. “Hey ___! Your usual?” She asks. You smile tiredly and reply “Yep! Maybe with an extra shot of espresso today. Didn’t get as much sleep as I wanted”. She gasps and says “Dude you heard about what happened right?? The monsters coming up from under the mountain? It's crazy!” You nod your head frantically in response, “I know right?? It's absolutely nuts! I didn’t believe it at first, thought maybe I had some weird ass dreams. But nope there it is, real sentient monsters. I can’t believe it!”<br/>
<br/>
You’d always gotten along with your barista, Laura. A real ditzy woman, with long purple hair on one side of her head, but the hair shaved down to peach fuzz on the opposite side. She always had a different design shaved into the peach fuzz each week. This week it's a zig-zag design. Honestly she is one of the most real people you’d ever met, she doesn’t care what other people think and allows herself to be, well, herself. You admire her honestly, she never tried too hard to impress anyone really. She charges you for your drink, and waves goodbye with a smile.</p><p>You decide to walk to the park and sit to drink your coffee. On the park bench, you attempt to gather your thoughts now that your brain was thoroughly lubricated with caffeine. Monsters. Real, sentient beings that just appeared that weren’t human. Apparently humans trapped them down there somehow thousands of years ago? You didn’t get the whole story with just the clips you watched last night and this morning, but all you can think is ‘Wow, so humans have always been assholes’. Once you get thinking about the monsters, something in your chest blooms forth.<br/>
<br/>
You need to go see them, greet them! You want to show them that not all humans are bad, you want to befriend as many of them as you can. But, your insecurities start getting to you. Was it too presumptuous to assume you could befriend them? Would they find you annoying, or odd, and decide humans were too much trouble to be friends with? Even with those thoughts going through your mind, you decide at the very least to try. You feel as if something is pulling you toward the mountain, you want to go. You feel like something important is there. With a new goal in mind, you decide to welcome the monsters with open arms, in whatever way you can.</p><p>___________</p><p> </p><p>Stretch felt.. Odd. Only a few timelines had made it to the surface, the kid couldn’t figure out how to get Toriel to let them pass. He wasn’t sure what was different from this timeline, but Chara had promised to never reset again now that they had escaped, unless something drastic happened. He wasn’t quite sure if he wanted to believe the kid, but for his brother's sake he’s been trying to keep up hope.<br/>
<br/>
Another odd thing was the pulling at his soul that started just after the barrier broke. He’d never felt it in any other timeline, and he was worried. What did it mean? Were any of the other monsters feeling it? He wanted to ask someone, anyone, but if it was something relating to the timelines he didn’t want to risk it. He sighs as he hears the flap of his tent shuffle, that must be Sans.</p><p>“STRETCH! GOOD MORNING LAZYBONES, ITS TIME TO GET UP AND TALK WITH THE HUMANS!”</p><p>“hey blue, yeah yeah ill be up in a minute. just bone tired is all, nyeheh”</p><p>“EUGH YOU BETTER NOT USE THOSE OLD DRIED UP PUNS WITH THE HUMANS! WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING FRIENDS, NOT ANNOYING THEM”</p><p>And with that, Blue stomped off. Stretch sighed, rolling off of his makeshift sleeping mat. “welp, no time like the present. heh.” He throws on his signature orange hoodie, readjusts his sweatpants, and slips on his pink fuzzy slippers. What he wouldn’t give for some NTT brand coffee right now. He exits his tent, walking into the temporary encampment the monsters have taken up. He had to get to Toriel, with his talent of ‘checking’ anyone without bringing them into an encounter, he was vital in seeing who would be able to enter the camp. Anyone with ill intent or too high of LV would be sent away.<br/>
<br/>
This talent is what got him his position as the judge. He spots Toriels large form, speaking with a few official looking people at the entrance to the camp. Three people, two men that would be considered tall in human standards, and a slightly shorter human woman holding a clip board. Checking all three on his way over, the woman has no LV, and the two men have so little its nothing to worry about. Asriel is deep in the camp, with Asgore to make sure nothing happens to the young prince.</p><p>Walking up behind the men, his 7 foot 2 inch stature was sure to at least startle them, which is the intention. Quietly, he says “hey, tori. who are these three?” All the humans startle and jump, turning around to look at him. He smirks, showing off his sharp canines as the humans pale. Toriel may be semi trusting of the humans, but there's no harm in a little intimidation, is there? Toriel sighs as Stretch walks around the humans to her side. “This is Mayor Don, his Deputy Mayor Charles, and their secretary, Julianne. They are here to speak with us about allowing us into the city, and possible G to human dollar rates.”<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
The man, Mayor Don, has his pepper spotted black hair slicked back, with piercing blue eyes behind a pair of spectacles on his large nose. He’s wearing a nice blue suit with a grey tie, his Deputy mayor is wearing the same outfit, but has a freckled face with slicked back red hair and brown eyes. Their secretary is wearing a grey suit top, with the same color grey pencil skirt. Her hair is a dirty blonde color, pulled up into a tight bun, with light hazel eyes. Don adds to Toriels statement, “Yes well, we can’t very well let you live in the woods. It would frighten people. No, it would be best to see how the people react to you in a city dwelling rather than in the wilds. On that point, I would also like to suggest we let a few civilians in the encampment first. Anyone allowed in would be screened thoroughly of course. But letting a few people in to speak to you would at least get some good relations going, and make the process of getting you into the city much more smooth.”</p><p>At this, Toriel looks to Stretch, and understanding it would be his job to ‘screen’ them as well, nods to her. She looks back to the mayor and nods again. “Alright. If it will help my people safely transition into society, so be it. Today we can let a few people come by and talk with us. But please remember I put the safety of my people first, I want no harm to come to anyone today.”</p><p>______________________________________</p><p> </p><p>Throwing your coffee cup into the trash, you stand up and start heading back towards home. You decide that you’re going to shower and get into something cleaner than what you’re wearing. If you’re going to meet the monsters, you want to be looking and feeling your best. Arriving home, you lock the door behind you, undress, and hop into the shower. It's scalding hot, just how you like it.<br/>
<br/>
You wash your hair, body, and condition your hair in record time. The process of drying off is quick as well, and before you know it your hair is dry, you’re dressed, and heading out the door towards the mountain. You find that the streets are emptier than usual, almost no one walking around or in the shops. Its probably because people are afraid of the monsters. Sighing, you speed up, determined to get to the mountain as fast as possible.</p><p>When you arrive, you see a small group of people gathered at what looks to be an entrance to a camp. Coming closer, you realize that the mayor is there, talking to the group of people. You see a familiar face in the fray, and you jog up to meet her. “Hey Laura! What’s going on?” She turns to you and smiles, replying “Oh hey ____! Dude the mayor is going to let some people come in to meet the monsters! They’ve got an Ipad to do quick background checks for anyone wanting to come in. I want to go in and meet them!” You gasp, you weren’t actually expecting the monsters to allow just anyone close. You just wanted to get a glimpse of them! … Well, thats a lie.<br/>
<br/>
You were hoping to be able to talk to them but never expected people to be let into the midst of the monsters so soon. Bouncing excitedly, you say “Oh my stars I am SO going to try to get in. I want to talk to them, see what they’re like! I wonder how different their culture is to ours.” You and Laura’s conversation pitters off a bit as the Mayor picks up in volume. “Alright, those who have come here to try and see the monsters, we are allowing a select few people in to the camp. The visit is going to be heavily monitored, we have several police officers on their way to keep watch, as well as the Queens Royal Guard, and their ‘Judge’ as they put it. Before anyone is allowed in, we will be doing background checks on each of you. If you have violence related marks on your records, you will not be allowed into the camp. If you are aware of having these, make it easier on all of us and leave now.” A couple people grumble and walk off after he says this. It seems to please the mayor that people listened right away. A few Police cars pull up immediately after, the officers coming out and greeting people. “Alright,” the Mayor starts up again. “Everyone get your IDs ready, we will be starting the background checks now.”</p><p>*</p><p>You and Laura passed the background checks and are making your way forward. That odd feeling in your chest is back, worse than it was before. It still wasn’t a bad feeling but it was making you anxious, you felt the need to make your way to the camp faster. Something is there. Something important. You shake your head, and blame it all on excitement. Of -course- there is something important there, its a whole new species! You have a police escort with you, and as you approach you see the tops of the tents. The officer stops you, gesturing to his side. You look up, and up, and *up*, and see the face of the monster in front of you.<br/>
<br/>
Her face is kind, but her eyes are stern. She has small, sharp horns atop her head. White fur covers what you can see of her body, her ears long like a goats. She dons purple armor, with a strange gold insignia on the front. She has a small crown upon her head as well.‘This must be the queen!’ you think. You get stuck between wanting to bow, and going to shake hands, so you end up with your head down and your arm out. “It is an honor to meet you, your.. Majesty?” As you say that, you hear quiet, tittling giggles coming from her. She grabs your hand to shake, and states “It is quite alright, you can call me Toriel. It is good to meet you too. I would like you to meet two other monsters before entering the encampment.”</p><p>She steps slightly to the side, revealing a large golden.. Lizard woman? Holding an axe much bigger than herself. She has an eyepatch over one eye, and is absolutely ripped. Shiny metal armor covers a lot of her body, but she isn't wearing a helmet. She smiles somewhat menacingly, and whips her hand out to shake. “I’m Alphys, Captain of the Royal guard. You make any problems here you’re gonna have to go through me, got it?” You grip and shake her hand fervently and reply “Yes, ma’am”. Her grin becomes a bit more genuine, and she lets your hand go. She turns and walks back into the shadows of the tree, probably wanting to remain hidden until the perfect moment to greet the new humans.</p><p>You look back to Toriel, remembering she said there were two monsters she wanted you to meet. You catch her eye and she smiles. “The second monster I would like you to meet is our Judge.” You watch her eyes twinkle a bit as she looks behind you. Taking the hint, you turn around to meet the next monster and the first thing you see is .. fuzzy pink slippers? Your gaze doesn’t linger as you see the toes in the slippers are bones. Skeleton toes. A skeleton?? How??<br/>
<br/>
You tear your eyes off of his feet and once again find yourself looking up. While not as tall as Toriel, this guy must be at least 7 feet tall. Compared to your 5 foot 5 inches of height, he towers over you. He's wearing black joggers and a mildly colored orange hoodie. As your eyes keep wandering up, you see what looks like a cigar hanging out of his mouth. But wait, no, thats not shaped like a cigar. Is that a dog treat?? You try not to judge and finally look up enough to see his face. You catch his eye right as he starts to lift his hand to shake yours.</p><p>A jolt of not unpleasant electricity shoots through your chest, and you stand stock still. The skeleton seems to have the same thing happening to him, his eye sockets widen a bit and his hand freezes where it was. Your breathing quickens a bit, and a weird form of excitement fills you. What is this?? Does his magic do this to everyone, is that what makes him a judge?? Not wanting to make a bad impression, you try and take the initiative, gather your bearings, and reach to shake his hand. “Hi, I’m ____. A pleasure to meet you!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Zing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stretch freezes further as the human woman grabs his hand to shake. He can feel static electricity practically radiating from their grasped hands, his eyes widening and soul thrumming. ‘what.. what is happening?? what is this??’ he thinks to himself. He can’t bring himself to move and nearly forgets to check her, he’s been holding her gaze for much too long. He snaps himself out of it and finally grasps her hand back, starting the check.<br/>LV: 1<br/>HP: 20<br/>AT: 0<br/>DF: 0<br/>EXP: 0<br/>Is Excited To Make Friends With Monsters</p>
<p>One of the most harmless humans he has checked, doesn’t seem to have any ill intent in her soul. He nods, lets go of her hand, and returns his to his hoodie pocket. “uh. hey. names papyrus, but you can call me stretch.” He reaches up to take a drag of his dog treat, and belatedly realizes that it's no longer in his mouth. His cheek bones turn slightly orange as he looks down, and sees the treat smoldering on the ground. <br/><br/>He clears his throat, and leans over to pick it up. You giggle at the act, and say “Don’t worry about it, I’m a clutz too. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve dropped my vape mod when I got startled.” He tilts his head, about to ask what a ‘vape’ is, but before he can, he hears Toriel greeting the next human. “welp thats my que, i uh. gotta go help tori. you uhh. have fun in there?” You nod at him, saying a quick “Thanks” and head into the camp.</p>
<p>He walks back over to Toriel, pondering over what all of THAT was. He’s usually so suave, what gives? He shakes his head, maybe all the fresh air is getting to him. He walks back over to Toriel who is introducing a weird purple haired human to Alphys. Once she gets the two talking, it seems like they hit it off as they begin a very frantic, excited conversation. ‘ah’ Stretch thinks, ‘that girl must be into anime too.’ Alphys is a sharp toothed, terrifyingly tough and scary looking monster, but her soft spot is her girlfriend Undyne, and their mutual interest in anime. He chuckles and shakes his head, looking for Tori. <br/><br/>Oddly enough, the large goat woman is giving him an incredibly odd look. Something mischievous and.. knowing? “tori, whats that look for?” She giggles and shakes her head, waving his concern off with a large paw. “No no, don’t worry about it. You’ll figure it out.” All this does is confuse Stretch further. Figure what out? All he’d done in the past two minutes was run a check on a human, is it really that odd? Maybe she was making fun of him for dropping his dog treat. Yeah, that had to be it. Oh well. Nothing to be done for it now, he’s got a job to do.</p>
<p>------------------------------------------</p>
<p>There are so many different types of monsters! You’re in the midst of the camp, walking around like a lost, curious child. Eyes wide, mouth open. You feel like you’re being rude so you try really hard not to stare. But it's hard not to when everyone looks so different! You see bunnies, wolves, piles of jello?? <br/><br/>You wave and greet the monsters when you catch their eye, most of them smile and nod their head back at you. Others are a bit nervous and look down at the ground, which you can understand. Your species had locked theirs up after all. You want to make conversation with someone, talk to them about themselves. But it seems like even the monsters who are nice are not sure what to say.</p>
<p>You turn around a corner and see a blue fish lady with glasses looking around worriedly. You raise your hand to say hello, but before you can, you hear very quick footsteps behind you and someone yelling “HUMAAAAAAAAAAAAN”. You spin around, freaking out and wondering what you had done wrong to earn someone's ire already.<br/><br/>Before you can say a word, a short skeleton in black shorts, blue and black boots, matching blue gloves and scarf, with a white shirt and.. Shoulder pads? comes running at you full speed, stopping a foot from you and throwing out his right hand. “HELLO HUMAN! I AM THE MAGNIFICENT SANS, FUTURE ROYAL GUARDSMAN AND EXPERT HAMBURGIOURE! BUT YOU CAN CALL ME BLUE”</p>
<p>You are taken aback by the sudden, and frankly loud introduction. However, as the small monster looks at you, pure unbridled excitement and joy in his face and literal STARS in his eye sockets, you are quickly put at ease. You reach out with a smile to shake his hand. “Well hey there Blue! It is very nice to meet you. I’m _____!” The skeleton smiles wider, which would seem impossible with how large his grin was before. <br/><br/>“IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU AS WELL! SO WHAT IS IT LIKE OUT THERE? HOW ARE THE HAMBURGERS?? THEY OF COURSE, WOULD NEVER COMPARE TO MY DELICIOUS HOME MADE BURGERS, BUT AS A LOVER OF ALL THINGS BURG I MUST TRY THEM ALL!” <br/><br/>You giggle at his enthusiasm, he seems incredibly friendly and you find yourself enjoying that about him. “Well, I imagine they aren’t as good as your burgers are, but there are many places to get them! You will have to find actual restaurants instead of fast food though, you never want to try Dacmonalds burgers, if they can even be called such. They are gross and tasteless from my experience. I couldn’t name them all, but once you guys are out of here and into the city I could show you a few different places if you like!”</p>
<p>Blue’s star shaped eye lights suddenly start twirling within his sockets, how does that even work, that is so cool! “I WOULD LOVE THAT, HUMAN! I WOULDN’T KNOW WHERE TO EVEN START SO HAVING SOMEONE SHOW ME WOULD BE FANTASTIC!” His arms gesture wildly as he talks, enunciating each word with a movement. You smile, and think to yourself ‘Wow. This guy is adorable. I am adopting him as my brother, no arguments.’ Out loud, you say “Of course Sans! If you are okay with it, I would also love to try one of your burgers!”<br/><br/>At this he stops, widens his eyes even more, and states “YES, OF COURSE YOU WOULD! MY FANTASTIC BURGERS ARE EVEN BETTER WHEN MADE FOR FANTASTIC PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF! WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO MAKE YOU ONE NOW? IT IS NEARLY LUNCH TIME!” Other than your coffee, you haven’t eaten today, so you quickly agree. <br/>“Oh, yes please, I’m starving! I haven’t eaten all day”. Aghast, he dramatically puts one hand on his chest, “YOU MISSED BREAKFAST? BREAKFAST IS THE FUEL FOR LIFE! COME, WE MUST FEED YOU IMMEDIATELY”. Laughing, you allow yourself to be dragged off by Blue.</p>
<p>He takes you to a campfire, where many different monsters are cooking and chatting. What catches you off guard, is the fire behind the fire. No, really, there is a man made of fire, in a snazzy looking suit, standing behind the fire. All around him, running around on tiny legs, are what look to be pieces of smoldering charcoal.<br/><br/>He looks up, and tilts his head in your direction. You smile at both him, and the tiny glowing charcoal monsters. Before you can introduce yourself however, Blue pulls you in front of him and declares “THIS IS ___. SHE WILL BE DINING WITH US ALL FOR LUNCH. SHE IS VERY NICE!” You smile and blush a bit, this skeleton is such a sweetheart. You wave, and say “It’s good to meet you all!” The fire looks at you for a bit longer, and then somehow smiles? You’re unsure how you can tell that he’s smiling, all you know is that his face is brighter than before.</p>
<p>He chuckles a bit under his breath “Very nice to meet you too my dear. My friends here say hello as well” As he says this, some of the charcoal take a leg off the ground and wave at you. You grin and wave back, finding them somehow adorable. You look and find Blue getting out a cast iron pan and multiple ingredients. Onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, all the fixings for a burger. He gets out the raw hamburger, and the chaos begins.</p>
<p>________________________</p>
<p>It's been a long day of checking people. Stretch is glad he was there to do it though, they had turned away over a dozen people with obvious violent intent. The blurbs under their stats saying things like “Wishes the monsters would go back underground” or “Thinks that these affronts to god need to be put down”. <br/><br/>The second they were turned away they became violent, or at least they would have had the human police not been there. Some had even tried to assault the queen, which was laughable considering how powerful she is. Nonetheless, those specific people had earned an overnight stay in a jailcell. He’d never understand why people were so threatened just by the monsters existence. Either way, he needed to keep his eyes open. He heads back to the cooking area where he last saw Blue, wanting to talk to his little bro after a long day of work.</p>
<p>He stops in his tracks at what he finds. Sure, he had expected Blue to make his hamburgers and thus, a giant mess all over himself, the ground, and anything else within blast range. What he didn’t expect however, was *you* to be there, also covered in hamburger ingredients, laughing like there’s no tomorrow. Hearing your airy laugh causes his soul to thump once, twice, thrice.<br/><br/>Shaking his head to try and rid himself of the feeling, he walks up to the duo. “hey bro, i see youve met ____” Blue’s head swings around at the voice, he puts his left hand on his hip and uses his right hand in a sweeping gesture toward you and the food. “HELLO STRETCH, IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU! ____ HERE HELPED ME MAKE HAMBURGERS, HER PASSION FOR COOKING RIVALS EVEN ALPHYS!” You giggle again, causing Stretch to blush a bit of orange on his cheekbones, though he isn’t sure why.</p>
<p>“These are the BEST burgers I think I’ve ever had! The most fun to make too, I’ve never cooked like that before. It was a -blast-” You wink and gesture at the literal food explosion around you. “WHY THANK YOU, YES MY BURGERS ARE.. WAIT WAS THAT A PUN” Blue squints his eyes at you as he deadpans that last part. Stretch’s eye sockets are wide, staring at you in fascination. <br/><br/>You on the other hand are doing your best to hold in your laughter, but failing to do so entirely. Stretch barks out a laugh suddenly, and that’s all it takes for you to entirely lose your shit as well. Blue, for his part, is a good sport. He merely crosses his arms, rolls his eyes, and smirks as you and Stretch try to gain control of your laughter again.<br/>“oh my stars ___. *snrk* that was a good one!” You only hesitate for a second before gaining a shit eating grin, pointing at your galaxy print pants, and saying “I know right, my puns are -out of this world-” This starts another bout of raucous laughter between you and Stretch. Blue rolls his eyes and states “YOU TWO HAVE -PUN-. I’M GOING TO GO FIND ALPHYS”. <br/><br/>You’re finding it very hard to breathe now you’re laughing so hard, holding your stomach and letting out a snort every once and a while. Stretch is sitting on the ground now, too giddy to hold himself up. He looks over at you and says “nyeheh, it looks like blue needed some -space-”<br/>“Pfffft Stretch stop I can’t breathe I swear!” Though in no way did you actually want him to stop.</p>
<p>The rest of the day goes similar to that, Stretch ends up hanging out with you for a bit before separating again to report to the queen. He can’t keep the smile off of his face, you hadn’t run out of puns a single time. Even Asgore couldn’t keep up with Stretch, but you had no issue. It was nice, he thinks, to have someone appreciate his humor. While it is fun to watch people groan and face palm at the stupid jokes, its refreshing to have someone who can shoot them back just as fast. He walks up to the large tent that holds the Queen and young Prince, taps on the flap twice, and enters. <br/><br/>As he walks in, he sees Toriel quietly conversing with Asriel. Before he can accidentally eavesdrop, he clears his non existent throat to alert them of his arrival. Toriel turns and looks at him, luckily it seems like it wasn’t too serious of a conversation so he doesn’t feel bad for interrupting. However, he is cautious of the smug -I know something you don’t know- look Toriel is giving him, again.</p>
<p>“again with that look Tori, whatd i do to earn that? i dont get it”<br/>She just laughs, waving him off with a hand. “Oh nothing, nothing. You are grinning like a fool though, you know that?” Grinning like a fool? Yeah sure, he had a good pun session. One of the best in a while if he’s being honest. So that’s exactly what he tells her.<br/>“Oho, and was this pun session with our new human friend, ___?” Stretch cocks his head to the side. “uh yeah, didnt think that would matter but i did end up punning with her. shes a nice gal.” At that, Toriel seems to realize something as her posture straightens and face becomes neutral. Asriel, who seemed to be giggling behind his hand, looks at his mom.<br/><br/>“Hey Ma, can I go see Chara?” she softens a bit again at her son's voice. “Of course you can my dear. Be careful of course, let me know if any of the human visitors give you trouble. I doubt they will but one can never be too cautious.” Asriel throws his fist up in the air with a cheer, and goes careening out the tent flap. “Bye Mom! Bye Stretch!” And with that, he’s gone.</p>
<p>Toriel looks at the exit fondly for a moment, before turning back to Stretch. “Well, I did have a secondary reason for letting humans into the camp today.”<br/>He pulls an unlit dog treat from his pocket while listening, “yeah i thought as much. mind if i light up while we talk?” Shaking her head gently, she replies “Not at all, feel free.” He nods with a quick “thanks”, gets his lighter, and lights up the treat. <br/><br/>“Now, we know that Chara has offered to be our ambassador. However, not only are they very young, but also mute. They can only do so much, as they see the world with a child's eyes. I was hoping that today, we would find someone who could help them in that role. A secondary ambassador, an adult who wants the best for us and genuinely wants to help. I had several people in mind who seemed like they may fit, but I wanted to bring it up to you first. Of course, we wouldn’t ask them unless they showed genuine interest in helping us, but I wanted to have a few people picked out just in case.”</p>
<p>Stretch nods and puffs out a cloud of smoke, “yeah i get it. we need someone that we know is helping to help, and not for their own gain. laura seemed alright, she got along with alphys quick enough and we both know how hard that is to do, especially for a human. ____ would be another good choice, heh, she really got along with my bro which is a plus since humans sometimes think hes.. too much.” That odd expression flashed across her face again for a split second, until it went serious again. <br/><br/>“Yes, those two were my main contenders. Friendly and not a single ounce of malicious intent in their souls. I just wanted to get your opinion on them, and I am glad we agree. We will give it a few weeks, make our way into the human society, and if they keep coming around we may bring it up to one of them.” Stretch smiles around the dog treat and nods again. “i agree. itd be nice to have a few friendly human faces around anyways. we also need to see how they act around the kiddo, from what ive seen already people are not so accepting of anything different, and well, the kiddo is pretty different from the other humans.”</p>
<p>Toriel nods, and makes a dismissing motion with her hand. “I agree. We will see in the next coming weeks. Thank you again for your help, Stretch. I appreciate it”. And with that, Stretch leaves to go find his brother.</p>
<p>_______________________________________________</p>
<p>That was the most fun you’d had in a while! After the masterful pun crafting you and Stretch had done, you finished your burger and headed home to clean up. Waving at Alphys on your way out, who was still guarding the door, you walked past the human officers with a big goofy grin on your face. Monsters are just like people, you think to yourself. Your interactions with them today just made your goal change into something a bit stronger. Not only did you want to make friends with Blue and Stretch (which you may already have) and the other monsters, you want to help them make other human friends and make their way into society. <br/><br/>You make your way home with a skip in your step. Unlocking your door, you call to your snake “Honeeeey I’m hoooome!”. She’s already out and active in her enclosure for the night, so you go over, open it up, and pick her up. “Hello sweetie” you coo at her. Spaghetti looks around at the room, flicking her tongue curiously. You giggle, sit on the bed, and let her start roaming. “You won’t believe the day I’ve had! I went and visited the monsters that came out of Mt. Ebbot and guess what! They are the nicest group of people.. Monsters? Whatever, nicest group I think I’ve ever interacted with. Their Queen is massive! Big fluffy goat looking lady. And I met a pair of brothers, they’re skeletons! The younger one is called Blue, he is goofy and silly and earnest, I want to protect him with my life. The older one is Stretch and he is hilarious! We made dumb jokes and puns all day. Spaghetti, he is tall as all hell too! Have to crane my neck up to look at him. It’s been way too much fun.”</p>
<p>During your little monologue, the pure white snake slowly made her way over your leg onto the side of the bed, looking around with her blue eyes. You giggle, and gently pat her back. “You can’t understand a word I say, but you still make for great conversation.”<br/>And that's how you spend the rest of the night, talking to your pet about the fantastic day you’ve had, until your eyes start drooping. You kiss her head, and go to place her back in her enclosure. “G’night sweetie!”</p>
<p>You wash your face, change into your night clothes, and head to bed, excited for what the next few weeks will bring.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Wow I am just yeeting out this fic!<br/>I am getting more comfortable writing already and I am having way too much fun with interactions and dialogue. Don't worry, once we get through all the meet and greets there will be plot for sure! Also, this is how the Sans/Blue in my fic looks in my mind: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b1/bc/70/b1bc70b01e2dd796d62069c7fcef7e5c.gif </p>
<p>Thank you guys so much for  reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Settling in</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Toriel is all knowing, Asriel is cute af, and you get to spend some quality time with the boys.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Again, you dream of swirling colors. This time however, they slowly begin to take shape. The orange curls into the shape of a hoodie, whites morphing into bones. The shape of Stretch slowly takes place, he’s smiling with a lit dog treat in his mouth, holding his hand out to you. You smile back and reach for his hand, attempting to grasp it. You tilt your head as your hand grasps air, where did he go? You look around, left, right, behind. Finally you see an orange spec in the distance and begin running towards it. You don’t understand why, but it's important to get to him. You try to run faster, but your dream body only slows down, the spec getting farther and farther away. You attempt to call out, but no sound leaves your mouth, and suddenly your falling down, down into darkness. Dark, darker, yet darker.</p><p>“Fuck!” you pop awake, sweaty, on the floor, and fully terrified. What was that dream about?? What just happened. “Oh stars my head. What was that? Something about. Oranges or. Uuuh nope, nope it's gone. Goodbye weird ass dream, I knew thee well.” You stand up and stretch, then grab your phone and check the time. 7 AM.<br/>
<br/>
“Blehhhh I don’t have to work for another 7 hours. Time for coffee I guess.” Deciding to stay in your pajamas, you throw a bra and some deodorant on and head out to the coffee shop, blowing a kiss goodbye at Spaghetti. Luckily the coffee shop is a very short walk away, just past the park. As you open the door to the shop and step in, you hear Laura’s chipper voice “Hello! What can we do.. Oh! ___ it's you, hey! Sorry, had my customer service mode on. Usual I’m guessing?”</p><p>You smile and nod, forever grateful that she knows your drink by heart. You think for a second before saying “Hey, did you manage to talk to any of the monsters yesterday at the camp?”<br/>
<br/>
“Oh yeah! You saw me talking to Alphys, turns out my hair reminded her of one of her favorite anime and we got to talking. She had to get back to work though so I ended up just wandering around. Ended up, quite literally, running into this absolutely *adorable* skeleton guy. Neither of us were looking where we were going, I was enthralled looking around and he was grumbling about puns and annoying brothers. Bonked right into each other, and the poor guy got so flustered. He was very gentlemanly about it, apologizing and calling me ‘miss’.”<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
You start giggling in the middle of the story, Blue is quite adorable and you can imagine the whole scenario in your head with great clarity. Laughing, you reply “Oh that’s Blue right?? He was absolutely grumbling about me and his brother. Turns out his older brother, Stretch, is a pun lover too and we spent a good few hours shooting the shit back and forth.”</p><p>Laughing, she stirs your drink and goes for the lid to put on. “They all seem like such good people. Speaking of good people! We really should hang out sometime, I’ve been meaning to ask if you want to exchange numbers!” You’re a bit taken aback and the sudden offer, but regain your senses quickly. “Um, hell yes! I’d love to hang out, I’m just awkward as hell so never thought to ask you!”</p><p>Laura hands you your coffee, and you exchange phones to put the others numbers in. You get your phone back and give her hers, you walk out and immediately text her</p><p>__: Pssst hey. Hey.<br/>
Laura: Well that was quick, lmao<br/>
__: uwu<br/>
Laura: Oh god I already regret giving you my number don’t you fuckin uwu at me<br/>
__: owo<br/>
Laura: oh god why</p><p>You laugh and close out the texting app. You really have no filter when it comes to texting, but it weeds out judgemental people quickly so you opt to be as odd as possible right away. Your eyes go dim for a moment, thinking about how it's best to scare people away early on rather than get attached. Sighing, you take a big sip of your coffee to try and chase the negative thoughts away. Well, nothing to do about that right now. You walk home while sipping your morning coffee, debating what you want to do with your morning.<br/>
<br/>
Deciding what to do before a shift is always difficult. Is there enough time to complete projects or do you want to laze around all day? You make your decision and decide to make a tiny hat to put on Spaghetti. It's always good to help the public see snakes in a better light. Determined to make the cutest hat possible, you unlock your door and head to your play dough collection.</p><p>____________________________________</p><p>Its been a few weeks since monsters first emerged from the mountain. You’ve made a few more visits to the camp, going out of your way to talk to any monster you meet. The monsters were allowed to move in to an abandoned apartment complex, paid for by the queen with her plethora of gold. Currently you have offered your help to the monsters, to move boxes into the new complex that they will be living in.<br/>
<br/>
You’re in a moving van with Toriel, Asriel, and a few officers. In the past few weeks more people have become vocal about their distaste for monsters, and while no one has attempted to hurt or attack them, the Mayor thought it best to be safe and have monsters accompanied by officers for now.</p><p>The van arrives at the apartment complex and parks next to several others. “____, I can’t thank you enough for your help. And I don’t just mean with moving, I mean with helping monsters get used to humans. You have been nothing but kind to us, and for that I thank you.” You blush a bit at Toriels words, trying to wave her off “I’m just doing what any decent person would do. It’s just like welcoming new neighbors to a community!” She smiles at you and exits the van, and Asriel turns to you before you can open your door.<br/>
<br/>
“I know my mom can be over grateful sometimes, she’s had monsters say she’s too nice for a queen. But she means every word of it, its been hard for her to rule without Dad as the king so the help you’ve given her really does do a lot.” He puts his smaller paw on your shoulder, and looks at you with meaningful eyes. “You are a kind soul ____, don’t forget it.” and before you can reply, he is out the van door heading to the boxes in the back.</p><p>Blushing harder and smiling, you think to yourself ‘Asriel is the nicest teen I think I’ve ever interacted with.’ You hop out of the van as well, and start gathering the smaller boxes. Toriel will be on the second floor, so you only grab what you’re able to take up the stairs. Lets see, apartment number 2b… Here it is! You head in and set the boxes on the floor. Turning to go back down the stairs, you stop when you see Blue, Stretch, and Alphys. And hey, haven’t you seen that blue fish lady before too? Smiling, you approach the group. “Hey guys! You excited to get moved in?”<br/>
<br/>
The group all looks at you, the fish lady hiding behind Alphys a bit. “Hell yeah we are!! It's going to be awesome finally being in a real bed again!” Alphys says this with a signature, sharp toothed grin. You nod, “I imagine! Sleeping on the cold ground can’t be fun. Also, hi! I don’t think we’ve officially met yet, I’m _____” You turn to the fish lady while saying this. She looks shy, a bit meek. Her scales are a gorgeous blue color, with fiery red hair, and beautiful golden eyes hiding behind large round spectacles. She takes a small step forward at your words. “H-hi. I’m Undyne. I-it’s good to m-meet you too!” You smile kindly and offer your hand to shake, she grasps it gently and shakes it once.<br/>
<br/>
Alphys is watching the exchange, smiling gently. She proudly states “Yep! That’s my girl, Dyne. Isn’t she the absolute best!” She grabs a hold of Undyne, making the poor woman blush and stutter incoherently, and lifts her up into the air.</p><p>You smile at the exchange, what an oddball couple. Looking back at the boys you see a fond smile on Blue’s face while looking at Undyne and Alphys. Stretch, however, was looking at you the whole time. Catching his eye, he startles a bit at being caught staring. Throwing one skeletal hand behind his head and scratching the back of his skull, he says “nyeheh hey ___. good to see ya. thanks for offerin to help tori”<br/>
<br/>
You smile and reply “Oh no worries! I am always happy to help. How are you boys doing with the move? Excited to get out of the wilderness?” Stretch opens his mouth to reply, but blue beats him to the punch. “YOU BETCHA! IT WILL BE NICE TO HAVE AN ACTUAL STOVE TO COOK ON!” You laugh as Stretch turns to him and says “yeah bro, just dont get too *heated*. last time we got a new stove you nearly burnt the house down. you may have taken it a step too *fire*.” Blue groans, “NO PUNS IN OUR NEW HOUSE!!” You giggle at the boy's interaction.</p><p>_________________________</p><p>Toriel watches the exchange with amusement. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to be young and interacting with her own soul mate again. Ah yes, Toriel knew ___ and Stretch were soul mates even though the two were still clueless about it. She hasn’t lived thousands of years to not be able to pick out when soulmates first meet. Not only is there a slight physical shock, which she can see visual clues of, but there is also the slight change in magic for both people. While there are no mages left, all humans have slight magic in their soul still.<br/>
<br/>
There’s a small tap on her shoulder and she turns to find her son looking at her.<br/>
“Hey, mom. I have a question about what you said about ___ and Stretch the other day. You said.. They are soul mates right? Why don’t they know?”<br/>
Toriel looks at her son fondly<br/>
“Well Azzy, soul mate magic has become incredibly rare in the last thousand years. In my time in the underground, I have seen less than a dozen true soulmates meet. So recognizing that magic has been lost with time as well.”</p><p>Asriel tilts his head, “So how were you able to tell?” Toriel ‘hmmms’ and ruffles the fur on her sons head. “I am old dear, so very old. Even before the underground I witnessed many meetings of soulmates, and even met my own. I can see the magic from both of them interact, I can sense their souls pulling at each other.”</p><p>Asriel sighs and seems to hesitate a bit, before asking, “So. You and dad were.. Are? …” A somber smile takes over Toriels face. “Yes, my dear. Your father and I are soulmates. Even though the magic of soulmates brings souls together, we still have free will. A bond between normal mates can be broken, it's a tedious process and is nearly impossible to achieve without destroying one or both parties magic. However, when it comes to soul mates, a soul bond is impossible to break without killing both parties. Your father and I.. We are still bonded. I made a terrible mistake, which caused our separation. However, I understand it was my fault. I can only hope to be even friends with him again.” She hadn’t meant to say that much, however, her son is a teenager now. She would say about 15 in human years, though in monster years he has outlived a few generations of humans, and is old enough to fully understand all of this.<br/>
<br/>
He nods sadly. “I thought so. On the days I visited dad through the gate, I could tell he was missing you. He never mentioned it but I could hear it in his voice.” Toriel takes in a quick gasp, but shoves her hopes right back down.</p><p>Asriel continues “So, why don’t you tell them they’re soulmates?”<br/>
“I am glad you kept in contact with your father. He loves you dearly, we both do. And it wouldn’t do to tell them, the idea of souls is a very new concept to humans. It would be best to let it all play out on its own. Now, lets stop all this mushy talk shall we? We have boxes to move!” Asriel smiles and gives a thumbs up, trampling back down the stairs to get more boxes.<br/>
<br/>
Sighing wistfully, Toriel tries not to think of her husband. If she had wanted to, she could have followed the pull of her soul at any time to find where he was. But she respected his space and understood his decision. He had, and still does, love Frisk fiercely and loved each child that fell to the underground just the same.</p><p>_____________________</p><p>Punning around his brother is Stretch’s favorite pastime. Now that he has a partner in crime for puns, it's gotten ever better. He knows that Blue actually likes his puns, there is always a smirk on his face when he complains, but the reaction is always priceless. The louder the groan, the better he knows the pun was. But now, ____ has been getting Blue to have to cover his laughs with her quick punnery.<br/>
<br/>
All of the boxes had been moved in, Toriel had waved her off when she offered to help her move in, so she had come to him and his brother to offer help. Of course they had accepted, and it started a wave of ridiculous, terrible puns.</p><p>Now, he and ___ were lying on the floor, surrounded in boxes, laughing their asses off as Blue looks at them with a mirthful face. “ARE YOU TWO QUITE DONE? WE REALLY SHOULD GET THESE BOXES UNPACKED.” Wiping his eyes, Stretch moves to get up. “nyehehe *snrk* yeah bro, i think. i think were good.” He looks at you, you’re still giggling, face red and tears of mirth leaking from your eyes.<br/>
<br/>
His soul starts doing that thrumming thing again and he grunts, the feeling isn’t bad he just doesn’t understand why it's doing that. At that point you glance back over to him, your chest is heaving from laughter but the mirthful look isn’t on your face anymore, and your hand goes to splay on your chest. Immediately concerned, he asks “hey, you okay there bud?” You nod, “Yeah, just heart palpitations or something. I’ll be good.”</p><p>Stretch nods, stands up, and offers you a hand. You take it and he lifts you as if you weighed nothing. You clap your hands, “Alright, lets get these boxes unpacked!” The three of you get to work, unloading boxes and putting things in their rightful places. Stretch makes sure to grab his *personal* box, going to the room that is now his and shutting the door. Unknowing of the odd look Blue and ____ give him, he goes to unpack.<br/>
<br/>
Notes of timelines, sketched out drawings during panic attacks, and other things he’s brought with him throughout the timelines. He glances at the ones with the strange hooded figure he doesn’t recognize, before stuffing them into the folder he has ready and shoving it all under the bed. He can ponder later, when he doesn’t have company over.</p><p>He walks back out of his room, seeing that most of the boxes are unpacked. ___ is talking to Blue and Stretch catches the last bit of conversation. “Yeah, I better get home. I have a night shift tonight and I gotta get a nap in beforehand so I can at least not be totally worthless there.” Blue nods “ALRIGHT FRIEND. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP! OH, STRETCH, THERE YOU ARE! ___ HERE IS HEADING HOME.” Stretch nods, and Blue goes to give her a hug.<br/>
<br/>
“PROMISE TO VISIT US SOON? I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE HAMBURGERS AGAIN WITH YOU!” You nod and laugh into the hug, “Sure thing Blue! I would love to. Oh! You guys said your phones are upgraded to receive human tower signals now too? We should exchange numbers!” Stretch lights up at the question, “yeah! undyne upgraded our phones for us so we can keep in contact with our human friends. weve got lauras number already too.”</p><p>“Sweet!” you reply, and you exchange numbers with the boys. You start walking to the door, and Stretch feels the need to offer to walk you home. “hey, ____, want me to walk you home? be nice to have some company.” Stretch doesn’t see the odd look Blue gives him, but you nod readily. “Yes, that would be fantastic! Thank you Stretch.” He shrugs, “no problem. ill be back in a bit blue” Still dumbstruck at his brother actually offering to *walk* somewhere, Blue just nods.<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
“Alright, lets go!” You and Stretch walk out the door, and head downstairs. Stretch hears some sort of ruckus and takes the lead, looking around wearily. Chants of “Go back underground!” “Demons from hell!” and otherwise nasty things can be heard. Stretch looks to you, and you look livid. Moving to glance at him you say,</p><p>“Goddamn protesters”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>First cliffhanger, let me know what you guys think! I think I am picking up some good writing habits, but I am open for suggestions too!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Protestors</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Yeah not really a creative title lmao. But here's the next chapter!</p>
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  <span>Of -course- there had to be protestors. You’re irked, your monster friends were some of the nicest people (monsters?) you’d ever known. And yet instead of getting to know them, these assholes made up stories about them being aggressive or demonic. Stretch kept his cool next to you, waving at them with a boney hand. “hey there guys, we didn’t expect there *tibia-ny trouble here. shouldnt have to *patella you again that we just want to peacefully exist here” </span>
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  <span>One of the rioters lifted his sign higher “You dirty animals don’t belong here! You belong down in the dirt, either dead or back under the mountain!” a resounding “Yeah!” waved through the crowd. Your anger getting the better of you, you push in front of Stretch and shout “Why don’t you guys just fuck off! They have every right to be here!” </span>
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  <span>The man sneers at you, walking up to get right in your face. “And what, you fuck these demons?? Is that why you’re defending them! First they come up here and act like they own the place and now they’re stealing our women! And you!” He points his finger right in your face,</span>
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  <span>“You’re nothing but a filthy monster fucker! Consorting with these demons!” </span>
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  <span>Your anger flares at the insults to your friends, and you open your mouth to yell out a biting retort, when you feel static in the air. A boney hand flies up and grasps the wrist in front of you. You turn and see Stretch, one of his eyelights is out and the other is flaring a brilliant orange. Where have you seen that orange before? </span>
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  <span>“listen here you filthy shit, us ‘demons’ as you like to call us, are just as you are, just with different wrapping. shit, were made of love and compassion even. and ___, this lady here, is the kindest human i think weve ever encountered. so dont go throwing insults as if you KNOW her, as if you know anything about us either. from what i gather, your human police only allow you to do this because its ‘free speech’, but if you so much as lay a finger on her, youll have more to worry about than your human law enforcement. capiche?” </span>
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  <span>The man is visibly shaking, but glares up at the intimidating skeleton. “Is that a threat?”</span>
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  <span>“..no, its a promise. and i dont make promises lightly” Stretch puts his arm around your shoulder, dropping the mans wrist, still glaring, and starts walking you around him. The man changes tactics though. Grabbing for your hand, the man states, “C’mon doll, I can show you what a real man can do. Show you such a good time that you’ll leave these beasts behind!” </span>
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  <span>Stretch’s eye glows ever brighter and he reaches for the man's arm,  but before he grabs him you flip around. “How fucking DARE you! How DARE you assume you are better just because of your species. These monsters are my FRIENDS and, frankly, you are a disgusting pig for assuming just because you offer me sex means I will suddenly abandon them and fawn over you! Get over yourself!” </span>
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  <span>The protestor goes red in the face, pure rage practically boiling out of his expression. He drops the sign in his other hand, and reels it back. You know what's coming next, and already prepared you dodge the punch aimed for your face, lower yourself into a crouch, and bring your fist up to hit the man directly in the crotch. He drops to his knees with a wheeze and the protesting crowd takes a step back, murmuring to each other. </span>
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  <span>You bring yourself up to your full height and address them, “You may have the right to free speech, the right to gather and protest, but take a deep, hard look at why you’re here. The monsters have done nothing to earn your ire, you all just think they are bad because they look different from you. May whatever deity you worship have mercy on your souls, because if any of you threaten me or my friends, I won’t be as merciful.”</span>
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  <span>Taking Stretch by the hand, you move your way around the crowd towards home. As you get farther away, your ire dims. You glance back at Stretch, and the look on his face is one of.. Pride? You think? </span>
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  <span>“Hey, sorry about that back there. Had you touched the guy I was worried you would get blamed for everything, but a chick hitting a nasty guy who was being creepy is less likely to get into trouble.” Barking out a laugh, Stretch replies “nah sweetheart, that was frankly pretty badass of you to pull. didnt think you had it in ya.”</span>
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  <span>Face heating at the sudden nickname, sweetheart, where had that come from? You blush a bit and face your head forward again. “I shouldn’t have had to in the first place, if those assholes would just mind their own business. Honestly, the nerve of them! And that guy! Eugh” </span>
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  <span>You spin around to face Stretch again, walking backwards and throwing your hands in the air. “I just!! Can’t believe how awful people can be! Well, I can believe it. I just don’t want to.”</span>
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  <span>He chuckled a bit at how passionate you were about the whole situation. “yeah i get what ya mean. people pretend to be nice until their way of life is ‘threatened’ or whatever” he shrugs “oh well, at the very least blue and i are officially moved in and have an actual place to stay rather than a tent” </span>
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  <span>You nod “Yeah, that’s true. I’m glad all the monsters are finally allowed to come into town to live. Now it's just a matter of time until you are all granted full citizenship!” You stop as you both reach your front door. “Welp, this is my stop. It was good to see you, Stretch, even if those assholes tried to ruin it” </span>
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  <span>Stretch smiles and puts his hand on your head, “yeah same here. s’always nice talkin to ya. sleep well, ‘n have a good day at work later on!” You smile, “Thank you!” Pulling him into a hug, you make a content “hmm” sound. You let him go, let out a quick “bye!” and you’re in the door before he can really respond. </span>
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  <span>Smiling wider, he turns, and steps through a quick shortcut home. </span>
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  <span>__________________________</span>
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  <span>“BROTHER, WECLOME HOME! WHAT WAS ALL THAT ABOUT?” Blue had been thoroughly befuddled when Stretch had left. Since when did his brother offer to walk anyone anywhere? It was, frankly, odd. While Stretch was gone, Blue had come up with a couple conclusions. Either Stretch and _______ were best friends, or Stretch has a crush on her. </span>
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  <span>Closing one eye and pulling out a dog treat to smoke, Stretch addresses his brother “hey blue. that was just a group of protesters outside. ____ and i got em handled though, they shouldnt be coming back any time soon.” </span>
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  <span>Forgetting about the original point of the question, Blue says “WAIT, PROTESTORS? WHAT WERE THEY PROTESTING?” Stretch rubs the back of his skull after lighting his dog treat. “eh well. they were uh. protesting us moving in here” </span>
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  <span>Blue tilts his head. “I DON’T UNDERSTAND. ARE THE APARTMENTS BAD?” Snorting a bit at his brothers lack of suspicion, Stretch then sighs. “ah, not quite. they didnt want us moving in to town. think were evil or somethin’” </span>
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  <span>Puffing his chest out, Blue declares “WELL! WE WILL JUST HAVE TO SHOW THEM HOW KIND WE ARE THEN! I, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS, WILL HAVE TO MAKE MANY BURGERS TO PROVE OUR FRIENDSHIP WITH THE HUMANS!” </span>
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  <span>Stretch smiles wide and shakes his head at Blue’s antics. Leave it to his brother to find every positive response he could to the situation. “sure thing, bro. im sure after enough of your cooking the humans will be flocking to be friends with ya!” </span>
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  <span>Blue smiles wide, putting his hands on his hips, “OF COURSE THEY WILL! NO ONE CAN RESIST MY CHARMS FOR LONG!” with that he runs heroically to the kitchen, presumably to start on some awesome burgs. </span>
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  <span>Stretch plops onto their couch in their new apartment, and lets out a puff of smoke from his dog treat. He’ll have to go to Queen Toriel about those protesters sooner rather than later to explain the situation. Only a couple of the protesters had any LV or EXP, but one or two of them had an alarming amount of it. If they decided to take a serious stand against monsters, it would be an issue. </span>
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  <span>He sighed and ran his hand down his face, finishing off his dogtreat and placing it in the ash tray that they had set on the end table. He was hoping to not have to deal with any issues this timeline after resurfacing. </span>
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  <span>Chara had promised not to reset unless something drastic happened. This was the fourth time they were out on the surface. The first time was the worst, humans had attempted to enslave the monsters a week after they had emerged. </span>
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  <span>The second timeline was a bit better, but Asgore had gotten dusted during a peace conference. Shot by someone in the crowd with absolute murderous intent. As Chara’s adoptive father, Stretch understood why they had reset. The third, which was the timeline before this one, they were on the surface for about a month before shit hit the fan. A monster hate group had formed, starting out nearly as innocent as these protestors. </span>
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  <span>In that timeline though, ___ had not been there for the first protest. In fact, she hadn’t been there in any of the last timelines. The first protest had gotten so rowdy that the human police couldn’t keep them controlled, and Queen Toriel herself had to get them to disperse. </span>
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  <span>Stretch hopes that in this timeline, another human defending them right away might stave off what happened next. Protests broke out all over Ebott, and the rest of the world joined in. Social media blew up with videos of the Queen, standing threateningly over the ‘innocent’ protesters. To get them to disperse she had to threaten retaliation if anyone were hurt. </span>
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  <span>Of course the humans saw that as a general threat, instead of the defensive maneuver Toriel had meant it to be. The humans decided to attack in the dead of night. Lighting the area where most of the monsters had been staying on fire, throwing homemade bombs and poisonous grenades into windows. </span>
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  <span>Many monsters had been dusted that day, and so Chara had to reset. </span>
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  <span>Stretch wanted so badly to stay on the surface, to live peacefully. It was always the humans that attacked first, the monsters only doing what they had to to defend themselves. He hoped that talking to the Queen, and hopefully the mayor, early on would keep the rallys from going overboard. </span>
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  <span>Sighing one last time, Stretch pulls out his phone to dial Toriels number. </span>
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  <span>One ring, two, three,</span>
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  <span>“Hello?” </span>
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  <span>“hey, tori.”</span>
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  <span>“Oh! Hello Stretch, it's good to hear from you. How was the move in?”</span>
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  <span>“not bad, not bad. ____ helped us unpack boxes so it got done much faster”</span>
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  <span>“Well that’s good! I assume since I saw you just earlier today that this is not a social call, is it?”</span>
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  <span>“heh, ya caught me. we uh. had a bit of trouble after we moved in. a group of protestors were outside, protesting us being here. while they werent physically violent, their intent wasnt exactly pure” </span>
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  <span>“Oh. Oh dear, that’s not good. Alright, thank you for letting me know, Stretch. I will speak to the mayor about this and see if there’s anything we can do. Was ___ still with you when this happened?”</span>
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  <span>“thanks, tori. we should try and snuff out any activity like that anyways in my opinion. it can only lead to bad things. and yeah, she actually told off the protestors. it was kinda hilarious if im honest” </span>
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  <span>“Oh my, she seems quite the spitfire when the situation calls. But yes, I agree. I will let you know whatever happens, and keep you in the loop. On that note, I do believe it may be time to talk to ____ about possibly becoming an ambassador. I shall give her a call and set up a meeting of sorts. I will let you know when that is as well, of course. I must be off, but I will keep in touch. Goodbye!”</span>
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  <span>“yeah, thanks, see ya” </span>
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  <span>A click of the touch screen and the call has ended. That taken care of, Stretch decides that now is as good a time as any for a much needed nap. </span>
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  <span>You find it incredibly hard to fall asleep, you know you need to nap before work if you want to get through the day but you’re still full of adrenaline and nerves from telling off the protestors. Taking a few minutes to just sit and try to relax, you eventually give up and stand to make some tea. </span>
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  <span>While you wait for the kettle to squeal, you open Spaghetti’s enclosure and set her with you on the couch. She lifts her head and sniffs curiously, taking a look around the room. You giggle a bit, even the smallest thing she does can make you smile. </span>
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  <span>You take out your phone and snap a few pictures of her for good measure. The kettle whistles and you leave her on the couch for a split second to pour your tea. Breathing in the earthy scent, you go and add quite a bit of honey for good measure. </span>
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  <span>Plopping back down on the couch, you place Spaghetti on your lap and take your phone out to scroll through Facespace. A few news articles about monsters scroll by, and one mentioning ‘SOULS’ catches your attention. Huh. </span>
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  <span>You click the link, and press play on the news video. </span>
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  <span>A well dressed lady with fiery red hair speaks, </span>
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  <span>“Today we have the young human ambassador, Chara, and their guardian, former King Asgore, here to explain the concept of ‘SOULS’ in further detail here today.”</span>
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  <span>She turns towards Chara and Asgore, motioning them to speak. </span>
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  <span>Chara starts to sign, and Asgore translates,</span>
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  <span>“Thank you, miss, for having us here today. I thought it would be better for me to explain this, since I am human and have seen how SOULS work, so I can explain it a bit better. Firstly, something not said before is that humans have a SOUL color. There are several different colors, all showing the main trait of that person's personality. </span>
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  <span>Mine, for example, is red for determination. It can be similarly explained as stubbornness. There are a few other colors and we believe we know what they mean, however because monsters SOULS are white, a culmination of all the colors, plus love, hope, and compassion, they haven’t had much chance to research all of the human colors. </span>
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  <span>Our Royal Scientist, Undyne, is beginning a SOUL study experiment. She will only be taking volunteers of course, and each volunteer will be screened heavily. During this we hope to learn the true meaning of the other soul colors, and learn more about the human SOUL in general”</span>
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  <span>You can tell Asgore has taken their statements and made them a bit more mature sounding, as you recognize many of the hand movements. Your father was deaf, and so you learned ASL as a second language growing up. </span>
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  <span>The screen shifts back to the well dressed Newscaster. </span>
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  <span>“Thank you for that, you two! More details on this experiment to be released later. Now, onto the next, we have scientists going to Mt. Ebbott to make sure the mountain is stable…”</span>
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  <span>You click out of the video after that. SOUL studies, huh? You look at Spaghetti, who is slowly periscoping up into the air. You giggle, stating “Well, I may just have to volunteer! I’d like to know more about this.”</span>
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  <span>Picking her up, you walk back to her enclosure and shut her in there for the afternoon. “Goodnight!” You state. You finish off your tea, and set the mug in the sink. Hopping into bed, you take your phone out and bookmark that news channel, to keep up on the announcements for the study.</span>
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  <span>You shut out the light, lay down, and drift off into slumber.</span>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. A night out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Reader and Laura decide to have a night of drinking!</p>
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  <span>Right as you’re clocking out of work, you hear several chimes from your phone. It's your text ringtone, and it's going off rapid fire. You finish clocking out in the system, wave bye to your coworkers, and head outside. While you walk anywhere close to your house, you do have a car for trips across town, like to work. </span>
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  <span>Once you reach your car you turn it on, lock the doors and turn on the radio. Once you’re satisfied with the station, you finally reach into your pocket and pull out your phone. “Oh!” you make a noise of surprise. It’s Laura!</span>
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  <span>“Hey girl!</span>
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  <span> I remember you saying you get off work around this time every day and wanted to ask if you wanted to go out for a few drinks?</span>
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  <span>Don’t feel obligated to say yes</span>
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  <span>Like I know you just got off work</span>
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  <span>And you might be tired</span>
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  <span>But we haven’t hung out yet so I wanted to at least ask?” </span>
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  <span>You get off work around 9PM, and with your nap earlier you feel you’ve had enough rest to go out for a bit. You reply to the message:</span>
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  <span>“Um hell yeah! Don’t apologize for asking to socialize lmao. Lemme just head home and get dressed! Did you want me to pick you up?” </span>
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  <span>You laugh a bit as you reply, you appreciate that you don’t feel coerced into hanging out with her. You’ve learned that it's a bit of a red flag for someone to guilt you for not wanting to come out. Your phone dings again</span>
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  <span>“Nah I’m gonna call a cab for a ride to your place, and then have the cab take us both to the bar! Text me your address once you’re ready :) “ </span>
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  <span>“Alrighty! I’ll let you know once I’m all sexied up and ready to go, uwu” </span>
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  <span>“Oh goddamit again with the uwu! You uwu at me one more time and I’m gonna pick the first shots!”</span>
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  <span>“..... :3c” </span>
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  <span>“EUHGHHHHH”</span>
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  <span>You laugh as you read her reply. You’ve texted a few times since you’d gotten her number and you realized she hates all cutsie emoticons, so of course you amped up the obnoxious to get a reaction from her.</span>
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  <span>While she ‘hates’ them, it's more of a playful hate than anything. So you don’t feel bad when you bombard her with them. </span>
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  <span>Putting your phone on silent and shoving it back into your pocket, you back out of the parking lot and head towards home. The short trip is uneventful, you arrive home, unlock the door and walk in. </span>
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  <span>As always, you greet Spaghetti, who is across the house in her enclosure, probably asleep, with a “HONEYYYY I’M HOOOOOOME!” You toss your keys onto the couch and walk to your bedroom. Peeking into her enclosure, you see that she is still curled up into one of her hides. </span>
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  <span>Not wanting to bother her, you continue to your closet and throw it open. A girls night of drinking requires the best of outfits. You shift through your heavily unused stock of ‘sexy’ outfits, trying not to think of all the times you had sat in each outfit waiting to be picked up by the ‘friends’ you used to have.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Nope. Nope. Nada. Hmmmm maybe? You toss rejected outfits out of the closet and onto the bed. Hmmm maybe this nice red dress? Nah too sparkly. This is supposed to be a girls night, not a ‘get laid’ night! </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You make a small annoyed noise. None of these outfits seem fun, yet slightly casual enough. Finally you reach the end of your closet. Sitting still brand new in the bag, is a dress you ordered for a date that fell through before the dress even arrived.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You take it out of the bag and get a good look. Smiling, you decide this is the one! It's a fun sundress, but instead of pastel colors it's a galaxy print, matching your favorite pair of pants. It even has a secret pocket on the inside!</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Running to your dresser you get out an unopened pair of black pantyhose, and a nice black pushup bra. You lay it out on the bed, head to the bathroom, and turn the shower on. A quick wash and rinse and you’re hopping out, grabbing for your hair dryer. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The rest of the process is quick, you throw the outfit on and pick a cute pair of black heels with a bow on the front. Finally, you are ready and unlock your phone to send a text to Laura. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Ayooooo I am ready to party!!” You add your address in to the next text, and Laura replies</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Lmao excellent! I’m calling for the cab now. Do you know where you wanna go?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Not sure yet honestly. We should just have them take us to the strip and decide from there?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Cool beans! I’ll text ya when I’m outside” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>It doesn’t take long for her to arrive, and as you walk outside you hear the window to the car roll down. Laura’s voice comes from the vehicle with a loud wolf whistle </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“DAYUUUUM girl I’d tap that! Where’d you get all that leg??” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Laughing, you strike a pose “What! I’ve always had legs like theeeeese” As you finish the sentence you jokingly lift one leg and stroke it with the back of your hand. Laura laughs at you and waves you over. “C’mere and let's get going! I’ve needed a drink all day” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You hop into the car, and she tells the driver (who is trying to hold in his laughter at your antics) to head downtown. As the car heads out into the road, you and Laura start talking about your days. She starts,</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“God you will not BELIEVE the day I had. So my coworker got fired today.” You gasp, and reply </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Is it the nice one or the one everyone hates??” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She barks a laugh, “The one everyone hates luckily.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>A relieved sigh escapes you,”Oh thank the stars” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She continues, “Yeah well. You know how she just has. No sense of hygiene when it comes to making food and drinks? Well today was the last straw. She dropped some ice cream she was scooping onto the glass that covers the ice cream totes, grabbed it with her bare hand, put it on the cone, and tried to give it to the customer.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Your eyes go wide. “Holy shit no way?? No one is that stupid!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Laughing, she slaps your knee “You’d think, right?? But nope. That along with the ice incident forced the boss to let her go. Me and the rest of the staff were happy to see her go though. She was just not a good worker in general if I’m being honest. Plus she was rude as shit all the time!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You nod your head “Yeah I imagine! I couldn’t handle a coworker like that. Rude people piss me off. Like it isn’t gonna kill ya to, ya know, not be a dick. But oh well. Sucks for her, but I’m glad work will be better for you all”. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The conversation continues like that until you reach downtown. Both you and Laura start looking out the windows, searching for a good place to go and get drunk. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The uber slows a bit to allow the two of you to look, and you start noticing signs in some of the windows. Looking closer, you see all the signs seem to be the same. A circle with a single line through it, the symbol for ‘no’, over  the top of a detailed drawing of a whimsun. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You and Laura look to each other at the same time. You state, “Well. I think I know what that sign means. I hope that's not what it means, but I’m googling it” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You quickly open the search engine and type it in. The first result says, </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“A whimsun with a ‘null’ or ‘no’ sign above it in the window of an establishment means the establishment does not accept monsters as customers, and reserve the right to kick any that come in, back out” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Shocked, your mouth falls open. You turn to Laura, </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me dude. How is it that this many places have that sign up?? People are such assholes!”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She nods vigorously, “I know, right! Well we are definitely not going anywhere with that sign. I will not support racism” You nod to show your agreement.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The cab driver glances back at the two of you. “I can help keep a lookout for places without those signs too. I’ve got a couple monster acquaintances and they’ve been nothing but kind, so I don’t mind helping you ladies out” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You and Laura look at eachother with surprise, and Laura replies to the cab driver, “Oh, that's really sweet of you, thank you!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Another few minutes of looking and you finally find a bar that’s not sketchy that doesn’t have the anti monster sign. Paying your cab fair, you and Laura wave goodbye to the sweet driver and head in. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>A mixture of humans and monsters are all seated around the bar. It seems like it's both a bar and grill, people eating steaks and hamburgers. You look around with a grin, the atmosphere here is so nice! </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Most groups have kept to their  own species, but there’s a few mixed with humans and monsters both. It brings a smile to your face. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You and Laura move up to the bar, taking a seat on the barstools up at the counter. The bartender, a young man with striking blue eyes and short dirty blonde hair, approaches you. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Good evening ladies! Before I take your order I’d like to let you know that tonight is karaoke night. Choosing a song is free, and all we ask is that if you get drunk that you try your best not to vomit on the stage.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Laura glances at you with a glint in her eye at this.  The young bartender continues, </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“So that being said! What can I get you tonight?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You and Laura place your orders, she starts the night off with a double shot of fireball, you with an ectoplasm shot. You two clink your shots together and throw them back. The shot you have is smooth and sweet, with just the right amount of kick.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Laura pipes up, “So I vote we dance for a bit, and then get going on karaoke early! Do you know the band Set It Off?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You grin, “I do! You wanna sing some of their songs?” She laughs and claps her hand on your shoulder. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Hell yes! I was thinking we could sing partners in crime? I’m an alto so I can sing the dude part”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You throw your hands up and cheer. “Woo! I have no idea what I am but I know the female lines perfectly so it works!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You spend the next few minutes ordering more shots and throwing them back. You both agree that you’d rather sing the first song before dancing. Once the two of you are sufficiently drunk, you go to the karaoke machine. Everyone seems to be shy or not drinking quite enough tonight, so you have free reign of the machine. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Laura starts up the song, taking the beeping queue of the machine to start, winking at you as you sing the first  line with the microphone in your hand. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“You’ll never take us alive!”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She bring the mic to her mouth and sings her line,</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“We swore that death will do us part, they’ll call our crimes a work of art” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You hear the door to the bar jingle in the middle of that line and glance over at the noise. You’re pleasantly surprised to see Blue, Stretch, Undyne, and Alphys walk in. You grin at them and catch Stretch’s eye while singing your next line.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He smiles back at you and nudges Blue. Blue looks up as well and smiles at you just as Laura starts her part. His eyelights swap to her and widen a bit, and you see a bit of a blue blush appear on his face. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You see him whisper something to Stretch, and a sly look appears on the taller skeleton's face as he replies to his brother. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You take your attention off the group so you can concentrate on the song. Deciding to make a bit of a performance, you start to skip around the stage, posing in a few dance moves you learned from Tubetube. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Laura looks at you excitedly and starts her own little dance routine alongside yours. The two of you continue to sing and dance, laughing every once and a while at each other's antics. As you near the end of the song, both of you are crouched on the floor, acting as if you’re taking cover. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Laura sings the line, “Ready men? Aim, Fire!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You fling yourself fully to the floor of the stage, acting as if you’ve been shot and holding your chest, as the patrons in the bar raise their fists and cheer. You can hear Alphy’s gruff voice above the cheering as well. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You peek a glance at where her voice comes from. Blue has his hands on his mouth, eyes dramatically sparkling as if he were going to cry at the performance. Stretch is watching you with a soft grin, tapping his foot to the beat. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Laura sings the last few lines, repeating “Partners in crime, partners in crime” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You join her for the last repeat of the line as she flings herself to the ground as well, “Partners in criiiiiiiiime!” The two of you join hands at the end of the song as you lay ‘dead’ on stage. The bar fills with applause, hoots and hollers. You both stand up, hands still joined, and bow. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She pulls you off stage, giggling her heart out. “Oh my god ___ that was so much fun! I had no idea you’re a performer!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You laugh and wave her off, “Ah I only perform for Spaghetti or when I’m drunk, this is a rare occurrence.” She tilts her head and asks, “Spaghetti is your snake, right? I think you’ve mentioned her before. I would love to meet her!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You are about to reply when her hand is yanked out of yours. Seems your group of monster friends has come forward, Blue has picked up Laura and is swinging her around.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“HUMANS! THAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL AND MOVING PERFORMANCE! YOUR SINGING VOICES ARE MAGNIFICENT!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You see a light blush on Laura’s face as this happens, and you can tell by the shy look that it isn’t just from the alcohol. Oh you are going to tease her so hard about this. You glance at Stretch and he seems to have a similar thought, he glances at them, then back at you and winks. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Alphys and Undyne approach as well, Alphys clapping a heavy hand on your back. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“You PUNKS! I had no idea you were talented!” She glances at Blue and Laura, the former still holding up the ladder and swinging her around. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Alphys looks to Undyne, and you swear Undyne has literal hearts in her eyes. Undyne looks at her girlfriend and whispers, “I s-ship it”.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You giggle, silently agreeing with the sentiment. They’d be cute together! The six of you walk to an empty booth to sit down, and as Blue and Stretch sit next to each other, you scramble in to sit beside Undyne and Alphys. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Laura scoots in next to Blue, you glance at them and then at Undyne and Alphys and wink at the couple. Undyne covers her giggles with her hands and Alphys shoots you a big shit eating grin. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“So what are you guys doing here??” You ask </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Alphys responds “WELL since we don’t have a monster bar anymore, we figured we would come out and see if human bars are any fun. Gotta say, I like this one! Being able to sing up on stage just for fun isn’t something we did underground but that was AWESOME!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Grinning, you giggle “Well, it's something we humans have done for a long time. We like to get drunk and embarrass ourselves up on stage. It makes for good memories honestly!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Stretch, speaking up for the first time of the night says </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“heh it looked like it was a ton of fun. a skele-ton” He winks at you while he says the pun, causing you to giggle and cover your mouth with your hands</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“i like your song choice. one of the CD’s from that band fell to the dump underground, it was pretty scratched up but a couple songs worked.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You and Laura both smile brightly at that. She speaks up </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Set It Off is SUCH a good band! What songs were you able to listen to on the disk?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“ah i dont really remember the names of two of the three that worked but. i do remember ‘forever stuck in our youth’. really liked that one” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You nod your head in agreement. “That is for sure one of their best! I gotta show you the full album though, it's fantastic!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Before you can continue the conversation, a waitress approaches your booth. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Do you all need a food menu or are you here just for drinks?” She asks politely. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You glance around the group, and you all agree it’ll just be a drink night. Alphys slams her fist on the table and says </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Get me your STRONGEST drink! I could out drink all you wimps!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You grin at her and turn to the waitress, “Every drink you bring her, bring me one too!” You get a challenging glint in your eye as you look back at Alphys, “It's been a while since I’ve been in a drinking contest. Lets see what you got!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The waitress smiles and nods, used to rowdy drinking parties at this point. She looks to the rest of your group, “And for you all?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“I-I’ll just have a g-gin and tonic” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“I WOULD LIKE A CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“just a shot of baren jager for me” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Laura is the last to order something, </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“I think I’ll just do a mimosa, please.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The waitress nods and leaves to get your orders. Everyone carries on their own conversations, and you look to Stretch. “So! You like baren jager?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He nods, “yeah, anything with honey in it, really.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Blue hears this and states, “YES. HE ACTUALLY DRINKS HONEY STRAIGHT. HE IS GOING TO ROT HIS TEETH OUT” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You snort at this, of course Stretch would drink something ridiculous like straight honey. He doesn’t seem phased by his brothers accusation though, just shrugging in response. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“what can i say, bro. its a -honey- story how i got started drinkin’ the stuff.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You wrinkle your nose at the attempted word play. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Man, that was a -Stretch- even for you!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Stretch’s eye sockets widen, his mouth agape. In the next second he is guffawing with laughter, nyeh’s interlaced every once and a while with the sound. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“oh my stars ____ that was good. we couldnt’a even planned something that well” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You duck your head and blush a bit at the compliment. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The rest of the night goes similarly, you and Stretch throwing puns at each other and every once and a while you and Laura go up on stage to sing karaoke. With you and Alphys having a drinking contest in between as well, you end up ridiculously sloshed by the end of the night. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Undyne is currently walking a very drunk Alphys out the door. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“C’mon babe just like. Five more drinks!! ___ is gonna pass out before me and every time I drink she. She’s gotta drink too!!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She stumbles a bit as she says this, and Undyne sighs. She turns to the others and says “I better get h-her home. Sh-she can get pretty b-bad after too man-ny shots.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Laura, not as drunk as alphys and yourself but still pretty drunk, waves a hand. “S’no worries! Get your girl home!” Blue is fretting about both you and Laura. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“HUMAN FRIENDS, I DO BELIEVE YOU’VE HAD TOO MUCH. HOW WERE YOU PLANNING ON GETTING HOME?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You attempt to reply, but end up making a few garbled noises instead. You place your face down on the table in front of you. You shake your head in the universal signal for ‘no’ and end up grinding your nose into the table. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“-snrk- i think shes pretty far gone bro. since we took your car, hows’about we drive em home?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Blue nods “I THINK THAT IS A GOOD IDEA, BROTHER. HU-.. UH, LAURA. WILL YOU GIVE US YOUR ADDRESS SO WE CAN DROP YOU OFF” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Laura gives a thumbs up and rambles off her address. Stretch looks at you. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“___, where do you live? we gotta get ya home for the night” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Attempting to reply once again, it comes out more as a groan than anything else. Luckily you’d given Laura your address earlier in the day to pick you up, and she recites yours as well. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“alright, blue, help laura out to the car. ill try and get ____ standing” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The next few minutes consist of Stretch attempting to get you to stand in multiple ridiculous ways, tugging your hands, nudging your feet, and even some pokes to the side of the head. Sighing, he resigns to his fate. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“youre really gonna make me carry ya, huh? alrighty then. lets get goin’” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He picks you up bridal style, and you whine when your stomach lurches from the movement. Chuckling, he carries you out to the car and sets you in the back with Laura. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The drive is uneventful, you sway in and out of sleep the whole time. Your house is closer and thus, the first stop. Getting you out of the car is more of an event than getting you out of the booth at the bar. Once again, Stretch sighs and picks you up. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“alright bro, im gonna get her safely inside. why don’t you drive laura to her house while i get ___ settled in?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Blue nods,</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“OF COURSE BROTHER. I WILL RETURN HER TO HER HOME SAFE AND UNHARMED. I WILL BE BACK FOR YOU SHORTLY.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Stretch carries you to your door, and jostles you a bit. “hey, youre home. gotta unlock your door though, you got your keys?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You struggle to pull the keys out of your secret inside pocket, but drop them before you can unlock the door. You whine again, why were keys so slippery? </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Stretch snorts, and you think he’s going to lean down to grab the keys, when they suddenly start glowing a blue color?? What in the world. The keys float up and click into the lock, they then turn and the door opens.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“alright sweetheart, wheres your room at?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You try not to blush at the nickname, that’s the second time he’s called you that! It causes you to forget about the glowing, floaty keys. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>What is with that. Your arm lifts, gesturing vaguely towards your room. He carries you in, and lays you down on your bed. You immediately cuddle into the warmth of the fuzzy blankets.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You love your bed. It's so soft and nice, and the pillow is fluffy! Your head burrows into the pillow more and you sigh. Bed is good. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You hear a snort from Stretch but don’t have the energy to mention it. Stretching out a bit, you can’t decide what position you want to sleep in, and you hear a “hmm?” from across the room. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Glancing up, you see Stretch, who seems to be swaying, or is that just your eyesight? He’s glancing into Spaghetti’s enclosure curiously, watching the snake clamber around in her enclosure. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“That’s Spaghetti. I love her, she’s like my whole life. She’s so. Cute and sweet and adorable and I love her more than. Than. Chicken wings!” Stretch chuckles at your antics, </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“well, ill have to come meet her officially sometime then. alright, you best get to sleep. youre too drunk for your own good.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Hnnnn I guess I could sleep. Don’ wanna though. I want cookies.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“pffft no, no cookies. just sleep. ill leave a glass of water on your end table though, how about that?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Water sounds. So good right now” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Stretch laughs again, “all right, lay down. ill get ya water.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You’re fully asleep before he comes back with the cup of water.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Don't worry, we'll be getting into the nitty gritty of monster-human struggles here shortly. This chapter kinda pretenses it.<br/>Also this is the LONGEST chapter I've written so far, literally double the page count of any other. Woop!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Soul Study</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Reader goes to Undyne's lab!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Apologies for how long this chapter took! I was having a ton of difficulty figuring out how exactly I wanted to write the details in this chapter. Some specifics had to be nailed down before I could post it. Hope y'all enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>You wake up incredibly disoriented, your head is pounding and you’re feeling like absolute trash. You take a moment to try and remember where you are. The last thing you remember is squashing your nose into the table at the bar. Opening your eyes, you take in your surroundings. Well, you’re definitely in your room. That’s good. But how did you get here? </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You groan as your head throbs at the attempt to remember. Water and medicine now, figuring out what happened can come later. Groggily you go and check your phone for the time, and see that you’ve got several new texts. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>From Blue and Stretch, and oddly enough it seems as if Undyne and Alphys have added their numbers to your phone as well. You go to Undyne’s messages first, nearly forgetting the cute names you changed everyone to in your phone, in your drunken stupor.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Cutefish: </span><b>“Hi! Um, I had a lot of fun with you guys last night. Just wanted to text you and make sure you got home okay!” </b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Cutefish: </span><b>“Oh dear what am I thinking you’re probably still asleep, I’m so sorry!”</b> <span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Cutefish: </span><b>“Just uh, text me when you’re awake! Or actually you don’t have to, but if you want to you can. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay?” </b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Cutefish: </span><b>“I’ll stop texting you now, I’m sorry” </b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You get a sweet smile on your face, Undyne is so easily flustered and adorable you almost can’t handle it. You reply to her before looking at the other texts. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You: </span><b>“Hey it’s no worries! I appreciate you checking on me, I am doing well! Bit of a hangover but nothing I can’t handle. How’s Alphys holding up?”</b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Speaking of Alphys, you go to her texts. They’re from the night before</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Beefy Armadillo: </span><b>“PUNK. I totayl beat you! I had the last drinbk and was still standuing!” </b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You laugh at the drunken typos, you really like Alphys. She is a ton of fun, and you enjoy how exuberant she is about life in general. You text her back,</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You: </span><b>“Alright alright you won! But I’ll get you next time!” </b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Last night was fun, the hangover was totally worth it. You scroll up to the boy’s texts and click on Stretch’s first. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Stretchy Pants: </span><b>“hey i got you put to bed, dont freak out if you dont remember. you were pretty out of it last night, lemme know when you wake up” </b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You smile, Stretch is such a sweetheart. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You: </span><b>“Hey! Thanks for taking care of me, I appreciate it. Sorry I was so sloshed, lol. I had a lot of fun though! We should all get together again soon.” </b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You pause before sending it. Do you seem too eager? You shake your head and delete the last sentence before hitting send. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Last but not least there’s Blue. You still haven’t forgotten about how Blue and Laura seemed around each other last night. You’ll have to ask her if she’s been hanging out with him, they seem like they get along well and you want to give them the slightest nudge towards each other. You open up his message. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Blueboi: </span><b>“HUMAN! I AM VERY HAPPY WE GOT TO SEE YOU LAST NIGHT! WERE YOU ABLE TO SLEEP WELL? I TRUST THAT MY BROTHER TOOK GOOD CARE OF YOU AND GOT YOU TO BED.”</b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You would blush at the would-be insinuation there if it were anyone but Blue, but he’s nothing if not genuine so you aren’t worried about it. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You: </span><b>“I had a lot of fun! So did Laura, she seemed really excited to see you :)” </b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>The texts all done and out of the way, you finally get up to get some pain meds and water. You stretch a bit before heading down the hallway. You were never one to have family pictures on your walls, you do have quite a bit of art though. None of it really matches but that's the style you like, wild, free, unmatching just enough to where it looks good. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Entering the kitchen you get out a glass cup and retrieve the ice cube tray from the freezer, placing ice cubes in the cup and running the filtered water over it. You thank the stars that your rental house has purified water.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You take the pain meds with the water, and head back to the bedroom. Opening Spaghettis enclosure, you take her out and bring her into the livingroom to watch some TV on the couch with you. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Grabbing the remote, you flip the TV on and start channel surfing. Boring, boring, commercial, boring, and then something grabs your attention. You pass a news channel and hear “... perceived to be a hate crime against monsters, but the investigation is ongoing” before automatically hitting the next channel button.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Quickly you swap back to the news station to listen to what the anchor has to say. </span><span><br/></span><span>“Yes, that's right. Early this morning an establishment that has opened its doors up to include monsters as well as people has been broken and entered into.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You’re slightly affronted that they used ‘monsters’ and ‘people’ separately, instead of using ‘monsters’ and ‘humans’, but then your eyes widen at the picture that pops up. That was the bar you had been in just last night!</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“The windows were all broken, everything inside smashed to pieces including tables and chairs. Slurs and threats were spray painted on the walls. Law enforcement is reviewing the security cameras and is looking into the crime as we speak.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Wow. An entire establishment, where many people earn their living, destroyed just because monsters were allowed to go in. You grunt in anger, you can’t believe some people! You halfway hope it's not the protesters you argued with the other day, but then you half hope it was. If it was them, that means hopefully less people who are racist (speciesist?) against monsters.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>That reminds you of the soul study that was mentioned on the news, just as Undyne replies to your text. You pick your phone up and read,</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Cutefish:</span><b>“She’s good! A bit of a hangover, she’s upset because she’s not used to it. Monster alcohol doesn’t give hangovers so she’s getting used to human alcohol. Anyways, I’m glad you had fun too! It was a really good time”</b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Smiling, you take your hand off of Spaghetti and reply, </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You: </span><b>“I feel her on that hangover. Hey, do you know anything about the soul study that’s happening and who I can contact about it, by the way? I wanted to volunteer but they didn’t give any contact info”</b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You look back up and the news has changed again, back to something boring. Flipping through the channels, you finally settle on some kids cartoon you can zone out to while you wait for the pain meds to kick in.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Your phone buzzes in your pocket, a reply from Undyne</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Cutefish: </span><b>“Oh! Uh well. Heh. That would actually be me! I’m doing the study.”</b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Back straightening in surprise, you reply </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You: </span><b>“Wait whaaaaaaaaat?? Undyne, you’re the royal scientist?? That is amazing!”</b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Cutefish: </span><b>“Oh it. It's nothing really, no big deal. But when would you like to come have your soul looked at? You’re the first volunteer so we can do it whenever you are ready” </b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Smiling, you decide to drop the whole ‘royal scientist’ excitement, it seems like she’s uncomfortable with the subject. You however, are going to have to ask someone about how she became the royal scientist. What does a royal scientist do? You had no idea Undyne was so smart! </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You: </span><b>“I mean, are you free later today? Once I get some proper food and get cleaned up, I’ll be free the rest of today.” </b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>It takes her a few minutes to reply, so you go back and check your other threads. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span> <span><br/></span><span>Ah, it seems you’ve managed to fluster Blue. You grin, he’s just the cutest! </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Blueboi: </span><b>“AH. YES. I WAS VERY EXCITED TO SEE MISS LAURA AS WELL</b><b><br/></b><b><br/></b><b>AND YOU TOO, OF COURSE.” </b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You opt not to reply, knowing he won’t take offence and not really able to think of anything to say to that, you skip to Stretch’s thread. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Stretchypants: </span><b> yeah you were pretty far gone, it was a great time</b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Trying to think of a proper reply, you shake your head. Why were you thinking so hard about this? It’s just a text. Before you can start typing anything out you get the reply from Undyne. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Cutefish: </span><b>“Oh! I am free in a little bit, I have to clean the lab I have set up for it. How about at 3PM?”</b><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You: </span><b>“For sure! I’ll see ya then :)”</b><b><br/></b><b><br/></b><span>You spend the next few hours nursing the hangover and cleaning up what little messes are in the kitchen. You got the address to where Undyne is conducting the study from her an hour or so ago, and are ready to be on your way. Purse, keys, phone, you think that’s all you really need as you head out the door to your car.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>It only takes about fifteen minutes for you to arrive. The place is a small facility, possibly an old hospital building? White picket fences surround the place, leading you to believe it may have been family owned in the past. You exit the car, locking it, and head to the door. After ringing the doorbell you are immediately let in by a semi excited, semi nervous looking Undyne. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You pull her into a hug with a smile, “Hey Undyne! It’s good to see you.” </span><span><br/></span><span>She gently hugs pag and pats you on the arm. “G-good to s-see you too! So t-to business, today w-we will be taking y-your soul out, and r-running a soul s-scan on it. That w-will show us your trait and s-stats” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You nod, “Gotcha. Is there anything I need to like, prepare for beforehand?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>She blushes a bit, and runs her hands through each other. “S-soul sharing can be considered very p-private or intimate when n-not in a p-professional setting, or an e-encounter. You may f-feel exposed, similar to w-when naked. You have n-nothing to worry about th-though, my t-title may be scientist b-but I am a d-doctor.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Undyne seems especially nervous while talking about it, and looks at you with a bit of trepidation, as if you’re going to back out. You smile at her, </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Gotcha! Being semi exposed at the doctor is a normal thing, and I appreciate you letting me know beforehand too. To be honest I have no idea what stats are, but I am aware of soul.. Traits you said? I remember hearing Chara has determination?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>She nods, and starts leading you to what you assume is the examination room. There is a sterile patient chair, and an odd white machine. It looks like those face x ray machine things that swivel around to get x rays of teeth, but instead of there being the xray part, there is a smaller machine that looks similar to the maw of a predator. Wolf with horns maybe? It’s skeletal looking and gives you the creeps. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Ch-chara’s soul trait is d-determination. That m-manifests as a bright r-red color. However, o-only children f-fell into the underground, s-so we weren’t sure i-if having a single d-dominant trait was something for a-all humans or just ch-children.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>She sits you down in the chair and starts flipping switches on the machine during her explanation. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“All r-right. I’ve got it all s-set up, now I’ll be t-taking your soul o-out. You w-will feel a slight p-pressure and pinch at the center of your ch-chest, but it will only last a m-moment” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Giving her a thumbs up, you get yourself comfortable in the chair. You still don’t like the skull looking scanner, but you trust Undyne’s expertise as a doctor. She reaches her hand forward, stopping in front of your chest, and glances up at you. Getting the hint, you nod once giving her permission to take your soul out. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Her hand moves a bit, she looks like she is pinching a thread from mid air. A quick pulling motion and you start to feel the pinch she mentioned earlier. It was uncomfortable, but not unbearably so. Another pulling motion and you feel a pressure building in your chest. You try to relax to make it easier on her, and as suddenly as it starts, it stops.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You feel.. Empty. As if you are still there, but not directly in your body. You have control over it, but you aren’t fully there. You don’t realize you’ve closed your eyes until you open them at Undyne’s gasp of surprise. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>However, you don’t get a glimpse at her face because of the bright, heart shaped floating thing in front of you. Your mouth opens in awe and you subconsciously move your hand to cup underneath it. It is a gorgeous turquoise color, not quite blue and not quite green. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Undyne’s voice brings you out of your reverie, </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“O-oh my! Th-this is incredible, it looks like you have t-two main traits! Oh I have to get this written down, I can’t believethisissuchahugesteptounderstandinghumantraitsohmygosh” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You giggle at the mish mash of words at the end of her statement, her stutter seems to die out when she gets really excited about something. Your eyes keep straying back to your soul, however. It feels oddly dark in the room, colors less vibrant minus that of your soul. And it truly is a gorgeous color. Your hand that isn’t cupping underneath the soul comes up in an attempt to touch it. It’s stopped by a scaly blue hand, </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“A-ah, please don’t touch it. U-uhm, y-you know how I said it was p-private? T-touching it is. H-how do I word this. It i-is equivalent to a human t-touching the p-places that are c-covered by c-clothing, if you g-get my meaning.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Steadily your face gets more and more red as she talks. Oh. </span><em><span>Oh. </span></em><span>Well, that would have been embarrassing. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Sorry Undyne, I had no idea! So, you said I have two main traits? What are they?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>She smiles, glad to be out of that awkward topic. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Y-your two main t-traits that make up that c-color are k-kindness, which is g-green, and patience, w-which is light blue.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You wiggle a bit in place, “That is SO cool! I can’t believe I have two main traits, you said people only have one usually?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“T-technically we’ve only studied ch-children, but I had a h-hypothesis that as they m-mature, the one main t-trait would turn into two o-or three. It s-seems like I am at l-least partially c-correct.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Smiling, you reply “That’s awesome! You’re so smart, like, I can’t believe I didn’t know that you’re the royal scientist until now.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>She shakes her head, “I-its no big deal, r-really. Now lets get on w-with the scanning p-part.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Her hands come up to press a button on the machine, whirring it to life. The maw seems to open and a bright light comes out, it pivots around your soul a few times before coming back to rest in its original position. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“O-okay, I’ll be putting your s-soul back now.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Undyne's hand comes back up, palm facing forward, and does a pushing motion. Just like when it was taken out, it was over in just a couple of seconds. The feeling of wholeness returns, and you no longer feel as if you’re having somewhat of an out of body experience. Undyne moves across the room again, flipping the switches from earlier back off. She walks back over to you </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Y-your results are p-printing right now. Do you h-have any q-questions while we wait?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You ponder for a moment. She explained everything fairly thoroughly, and most of the questions you have are about monsters and their souls, rather than humans. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Would it be rude if I were to ask about monsters? Like I know you guys are made up of magic, but I don’t understand how you all look so.. Unique? I’m sorry, that was probably rude.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You go to wave your question off but she shakes her head. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“N-no I completely g-get it! I’ve had q-quite a few questions about h-humans as well. What w-would you like to know?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>She threads her fingers together. It's just barely dawning on you that she is wearing a pure white lab coat, making her look very much like the doctor she is. Bringing your hand up to rest your chin on it, you begin to think of a good first question. You don’t want to ask anything too vague, but you still have questions. Eventually, you settle for </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“So, do monsters end up looking like their parents?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>She nods, as if expecting this question. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Well, that a-all depends on if t-they are made magically o-or physically. Monsters uh, r-reproduce in two w-ways. I-if two monsters are bodily c-compatible, and d-decide to reproduce physically, the child w-will look like a c-combination of the parents. One p-parent will carry the child, s-similar to humans, though b-birth is much less p-painful. H-however, if the parents are n-not physically compatible, o-or don’t want to p-physically make a child, there is s-soul reproduction. In f-family friendly t-terms, the parents e-each take a piece of their s-soul and combine them t-together, to make a brand new soul. T-this method of reproduction i-is near instantaneous, i-it only takes a f-few minutes for the souls m-magic to form a body. I-it also allows same s-sex couples to r-reproduce. O-our bodies are the culmination of o-our souls, and so depending on the s-soul itself, where i-it was f-formed, and a few other outside factors c-contribute. The body c-can be something totally unique, for example, I w-was a soul b-baby, and I formed in w-waterfall. Alphys was also a soul baby, b-but was formed in H-Hotland.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Your head is reeling from all of the information. Two ways of reproduction?? Soul reproduction?? This is all so much at once. But one thing is bothering you. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“So if some monsters can reproduce physically, does that mean there is a risk of accidental pregnancies?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Undyne blushes at this. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“A-ah. That is a g-good question. Um. M-monsters have a uh. C-cycle, similar to humans. It i-is much less often, o-only about once a y-year. It’s c-called a h-heat. During this t-time monsters are. Uhm. V-very easily a-aroused, can be a-aggressive w-with anyone who isn’t their m-mate, and very t-territorial. S-soul bonded mates can o-often line up, b-but the only time monsters c-can get physically p-pregnant is during th-their heat, and only the monster in h-heat can get pregnant, e-even though male monsters get h-heats as well, they cannot ph-physically carry a child. T-this is why not many c-couples try to reproduce ph-physically.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Your eyes are wide as your curiosity peaks. Monsters are so incredibly interesting! You think closely about the friends you’ve made. You’ve seen many monsters similar to each other, however the more you think about it, the more you realize you’ve only seen two skeleton monsters. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Oh I get it. Does that mean Stretch and Blue would be examples of physical reproduction? Since they’re brothers and look like. Well. Skeletons?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Undyne opens her mouth to reply, but a </span><em><span>ding</span></em><span>  from a room over distracts her. A few moments later she returns with a stack of papers. She hands them to you. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Th-these are your s-stats. I have my c-copies that I need to look over later, and I will c-call to discuss a-anything I n-need to with you.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You nod, </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Thank you! I appreciate it.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“N-no need to thank m-me, I should be thanking y-you! You h-have already h-helped our understanding of h-human souls. O-oh! You were asking about Stretch a-and Blue!”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You laugh a bit </span><span><br/></span><span>“Oh yeah! It would make sense for them to be from a physical reproduction, right?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Undyne ‘hmmmm’s for a moment, thinking hard before replying. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“W-well, yes and n-no. Skeleton monsters in g-general, are very different f-from other m-monsters.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You tilt your head at that, tucking your papers into your armpit. </span><span><br/></span><span>“How so?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Undyne takes a breath </span><span><br/></span><span>“W-well, skeleton monsters as a w-whole, are monster h-human hybrids”</span></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>HAHAHA what a cliffhanger! :P</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Monster genetics</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Reader learns a few things about how monsters work, Tori and Asgore have a conversation</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wow this chapter gave me HELL. I have so many notes on the details sitting on my desk rn its ridiculous. <br/>Also I live for comments and am always open to writing advice (as long as its polite)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>“Wait wait, </span><em><span>what</span></em><span>??”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>That was a huge bombshell. You wouldn’t have thought monster human hybrids were even possible, let alone in existence already. Not only that, but the boys, Stretch and Blue, are hybrids?? This is information overload, your eyes take on a thousand yard stare for a minute or two as you absorb it all. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Undyne looks at you </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“O-oh. I forget it’s n-not common knowledge f-for humans. It’s w-well known that the s-skeleton monsters are hybrids, i-its just a f-fact all monsters know.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Your eyes peer over at her </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Okay. So. Monster human hybrids are apparently a thing. Wow. Okay. Uhm. I guess that makes sense as to why there’s only two of them, at least that I know of?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>She shakes her head </span><span><br/></span><span>“C-close! But their f-father, Gaster, is also a s-skeleton. H-he just decided t-to stay in the u-underground. But i-it is just th-those three.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Another bombshell. You aren’t sure you can take any more information without your head exploding. Stretch and Blue have never mentioned their father, are they not on good terms? You want to ask Undyne, but you realize you should be asking the boys instead, to remain polite. So many questions! </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Ooookay, I’ll have to ask them about that later. How does that work though? Why are hybrids skeletons? How would making a hybrid even work?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Undyne blushes at the last question, but is still in science-mode so doesn’t hesitate when answering. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“S-so hybrids can only be m-made when both acts of r-reproduction are happening a-at once. T-the participating human and m-monster must be physically c-compatible, and must also b-be resonating souls. T-the magic from the monster s-starts to form the s-soul, and it a-automatically starts making, in s-simple terms, b-blueprints for the souls b-body. U-using the humans ‘blueprints’, t-the soul copies the t-toughest part of the h-human body, which w-would be the skeleton. T-the magic forms the b-body as a full skeleton, and b-because its also made of magic, i-it does not form s-skin or organs b-because it doesn’t need th-them. Being partially m-matter, this makes skeleton monsters e-extraordinarily strong. Th-they are nearly b-boss monsters with h-how powerful they are. I-it's also why s-skeleton monsters are the o-only monsters th-that bleed when physically h-hurt.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Undyne looks a bit sad as she says the next part,</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I-I have been told th-that there were m-many skeleton monsters b-before the war. H-however, all except G-Gaster died before m-monsters were locked u-underground. I-in fact, they w-were the first to be d-dusted, which is w-what began the war. A-apparently some h-humans couldn’t s-stand the fact that h-hybrids existed, th-thinking they were an a-affront to their ‘god’.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You nod sadly at that. Humans have always had an issue with anything that’s different, so as sad as it is, this information doesn’t surprise you.  What does surprise you though, is that apparently Stretch and Blue are second generation hybrids. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“For one, I wish I could fully apologize for my race’s close minded cruelty. For two, that would make Stretch and Blue only like, a quarter human, right?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“T-technically, yes. H-however, they were born from a b-bit different means. Th-that is something I’m n-not comfortable g-getting into without asking them f-first, though” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You nod in understanding. You’ll have to ask them about that, then. And about their father as well! </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Thank you for answering my crazy invasive questions Undyne! I learned more than I expected today, I’m super excited to read about my soul too.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Clicking her fingers together excitedly, she nods and bounces in place a bit. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“O-of course! I just know th-this will kick s-start the research p-project. If y-you know anyone w-willing to have th-this done to them, p-please send them m-my way! We n-need all the v-volunteers we can g-get.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You instantly think of Laura, and with a quick promise to text her and a hug goodbye, you’re sent on your way. It’s late afternoon by now, and you take in the lovely colors of the sky. The fading sun is casting purples over Mt. Ebbot, the sky has a few fluffy clouds that are reflecting the colors. With a smile on your face, you start your car and head back to your rental house. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>____________________</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Mom, when is Chara gonna be here? I want to show them the new game you got me!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Toriel looks at her son with kind, sad eyes. She wouldn’t let him know it, but she was both excited and nervous to see Asgore. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Ah, Asgore and Chara will be here within a few minutes. Make sure the two of you behave, we don’t want a repeat of the Dorito incident, do we?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Asriel blushed underneath his fur. One of the last times Chara had visited, they had gotten into an all out food fight, but the only food available was the few bags of Doritos in the bedroom with them. It was a nacho cheese-pacalypse. They were vacuuming crumbs out of the carpet for weeks after, and Toriel was unsurprisingly not happy with them. Asriel nods </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Yeah yeah, don’t worry Mom. We’ll stick to pillow fights.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Satisfied with the answer, she nods and heads to the kitchen to start on some golden flower tea. Over the last few months, she and Asgore have gotten to be on better speaking terms. While she wasn’t holding on to the hope of getting back together with him, she at the very least would like to rekindle their friendship. Just as she heated the tea, the doorbell rang. Asriel practically flew across the house in his excitement, threw the door open, and pulled Asgore and Chara into a hug. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Chara!! Dad!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Chara returned the hug with full enthusiasm, and Asgore chuckled and returned the hug one-armed. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Hello there son! It is good to see you.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Toriel walks into the room and waves. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Hello Asgore, you seem well.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Asgore’s face tightens a bit, his smile a bit forced. His answer was curt, professional, but not rude. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I am, thank you.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Disappointed, but not unexpectedly so. On better terms doesn’t necessarily mean on </span><em><span>good </span></em><span>terms. But, there is a point to this visit other than letting the children see each other and play. Toriel gestures to the kitchen, </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Would you like some tea? I’ve made a fresh pot.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>As the children run off to Asriels room, Asgore nods. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Yes, some tea would be nice.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>They set up in the kitchen, the general feeling in the room being a bit tense. However, Asgore and Toriel were nothing if not polite, so Toriel prepared the tea how she knew he liked, along with her own. They sit down at the table in the kitchen, and Asgore folds his hands and gives her a searching look.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“While I appreciate the tea, I am of the mind that you wish to speak to me about something.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Setting down the tea pot and grabbing each mug, Toriel sighs and nods. She hands Asgore his tea, which he accepts with a quick “Thank you”. She sits across from him and begins</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Well, as I have made you aware, I am searching for an adult human who is sympathetic to the plight of monsters and our rights to help Chara as the ambassador” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>A nod from Asgore</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I do believe I have found someone, however you are much better judge of character than I. I already had Stretch check her and he says she has no EXP, or LV. I would like to ask you if you could meet her and help me explain what we would like to offer her.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Asgore runs his hands down his face and over his snout. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I am no longer King, nor have I been in a long time. Do you really need me to make judgement calls?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Toriel had expected this. She didn’t ask Asgore because he was once king, she asked him because he was, well, intimidating. Being the largest monster by far, and a boss monster, he’s very imposing even with his gentle demeanor. Toriel was, however, finding it hard to put that into words without it sounding rude. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I do understand that Asgore, but the reason I ask is not because you were once King. You are… oh, how shall I word this. Anyone who speaks to you tends to let any small truths slip that would not when speaking to other monsters. You tend to get people talking in a way that can reveal any hidden malice without them realizing it. I do trust this woman, however I want to be as careful as possible when considering a human to help us.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Asgore leans back a bit into his chair to think it over. He does not wish to be King of monsters, but this seemed more like a personal favor for Toriel than a leadership action. As long as Toriel is aware that this changes nothing about his role to the monsters, then he already knows his answer. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Alright. I will meet this human and speak with her, I will bring Chara along as well. If she does not get along with them then at that point then we won’t have to take back an offer that has yet to be made. If she is to be an ambassador for us, she must get along with our current one. Chara is an incredibly perceptive child, if they do not take to her I shall not give her my blessing.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Nodding, Toriel agrees. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Completely understood. I very much appreciate your assistance Asgore.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>With one last nod, Asgore changes the subject. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“So, how is Asriel doing? I haven’t gotten to speak to him one on one lately” </span><span><br/></span> <span><br/></span><span>__________________________________________</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You’re sitting on the couch, flipping through TV channels once again. You take a drag out of your vape, and think to yourself how exciting life has become since the Monsters emerged. It’s been nearly two months since they’ve appeared, and they weren’t making very much progress with getting citizenship. You grouch to yourself at that, letting out your puff of vapor. Why wouldn’t they deserve citizenship? Again, you aren’t surprised. Humanity sucks. Pulling out your phone, you’re surprised to see you have a new text from Stretch. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Stretchypants: </span><b>hey, wanted to know if you wanted to go out with some friends? tori will be there, alph, undyne, and asriel too, plus some friends of mine you havent met yet</b><b><br/></b><b><br/></b><span>You nearly drop your phone in excitement and nervousness, meeting new people was incredibly nerve wracking but considering they were friends of Stretch, you likely had nothing to actually worry about.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You: </span><b>Oh for sure! I’d love to meet some more of your friends. When do you wanna go?”</b><b><br/></b><b><br/></b><span>It takes him a few minutes to answer, he was probably contacting the group to see when would be the best time for them as well. Your phone chimes a few minutes later.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Stretchypants: </span><b>this coming weekend prolly. Ill get with the others and make sure that works, if it works for ya. saturday most likely</b><b><br/></b><b><br/></b><span>You stop and think for a moment. Saturday sounds good, you have the day off and no prior plans. Plus, you now have a few days warning to mentally destress and get ready to meet new people. Nodding to yourself, you respond to him</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You: </span><b>Sounds good to me, just lemme know the time and place and I can be there! :) </b><b><br/></b><b><br/></b><span>Stretchypants: </span><b><em>thumbs up emoji</em></b><em><span><br/></span></em><em><span><br/></span></em><span>You: </span><b>… did you seriously take the time to type out ‘thumbs up emoji’ instead of. Clicking on your emojis?</b><b><br/></b><b><br/></b><span>Stretchypants: </span><b>tibia honest, these human phones are way different from monster phones. Idk where the emojis even are on this thing</b><b><br/></b><b><br/></b><span>You: </span><b>Pffft. Next time I see you we’re having a lesson in human electronics </b><b><br/></b><b><br/></b><span>Stretchypants: </span><b>ill hold ya to that </b></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>What a doozy eh?? I've had this personal headcanon about monster reproduction for such a long time and it feels so GOOD to put it to use. </p><p>I'd love to hear y'alls opinions on this too!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Ambassador</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You get an offer you can't refuse</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys! This chapter took a hot minute, I am trying to smoothly transition awkward Stretch back into his regular smug self. I know he seems a bit ooc at the beginning of this, but thats because he has no idea how to react to his souls reaction to reader. He's finally gotten used to it and is going to be back to his smug, smooth, flirty self. <br/>We are also working out way into lewd stuff, nothing intense quite yet.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>You end up </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>relaxing for the rest of the week. Your boss put a few new projects on you directly after finishing up your last, that added to the anxiety of meeting Stretch’s friends you haven’t met yet, leads to an incredibly stressful week. You sigh as you stare out the window of your car, the week flew by with no time to recoup from the stress. You hadn’t even had time to text Laura about the soul study that Undyne needed more test subjects for!</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You have a playlist of bright, exciting songs playing through your radio to try and amp you up for this gathering. You’ve dressed nicely, a flowing purple tank top that's semi-low cut but not to the point of being a party tank. You decided a push up bra would be best, the tightness would help keep you from slouching.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The pants are tight black skinny slacks, meant to look like skinny jeans without being uncomfortably stiff as jeans can be. A neon blue splatter goes from the left hip, twirling down into the area of the pants between your thighs. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>To match, your earrings are striking teal gems, dangling somewhat like a teeny tiny chandelier. They aren’t expensive, but are shimmery and gorgeous. To complete the outfit you’re wearing black flats, you don’t want to over-do the look with ridiculous high heels. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You arrive at your destination, funny enough Stretch and his friends (your friends? Could you call the others your friends as well?) chose the coffee shop that Laura works at as the meeting spot. Taking a deep breath, you shut your car off, open the door and head inside. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>What awaits you is a rowdy group of monsters, most of which you’ve seen before. What you don’t expect is a very </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>large goat monster, with massive horns and a big fluffy golden beard. You would be intimidated if he wasn’t wearing a floral button down shirt, and holding the hand of a young child.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You hear a low whistle before you can approach them, and catch Stretch’s eye. Literally, one eye, he’s got the other shut while giving you an, ehem, </span>
  <em>
    <span>appreciative </span>
  </em>
  <span>look. He’s the one who whistled.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“damn sweetheart, you clean up nice.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You giggle a bit, blushing and pushing some hair behind your ear. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Oh, thank you Stretch!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The rest of the table stops their conversation and looks up at you. Alphys is grinning widely, -meniachly?- and smacks the table loudly. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Hey PUNK! ‘Bout time you showed up!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She stands up and gives you a very violent hug, clapping your back fairly hard. It makes the group laugh heartily. You give all of Stretch’s (your?) friends a side hug. Blue squeezes the breath out of you and you have to take a moment to breathe before you introduce yourself to the new comers. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You put out your hand for the large goat man to take</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Hi! I’m ___, its really good to meet you!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He smiles and reaches to shake your hand. Yours is fully enveloped in his very fluffy, soft hand. Paw? Claw? Either way, you nearly get distracted with how soft he is. What kind of conditioner does he use??</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“A pleasure to meet you, my dear. I am Asgore, and this is my child, Chara.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You turn your attention to the child next to him. A huge grin breaks out on their face, and they wave enthusiastically before reaching for your hand as well. Your smile grows as they frantically shake your hand, then look to Asgore for approval. He huffs a laugh and nods. Chara beams proudly at the silent praise, and begins to sign at you. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <b>“Hi there! My name is Chara” </b>
  <span>They first spell out c-h-a-r-a and then do a sign directly after, double finger guns and then a swirl over their chest, indicating that as the sign for their name. As Asgore opens his mouth to translate, you lift your hands and reply in ASL</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <b>“Glad to meet you! Sorry if my signing is rusty, I haven’t had to use it in a few years.”</b>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You get a few seconds of stunned silence, and Chara’s face lights up like a Christmas tree. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>You can sign?? I am so glad! It was so weird to make the transition from talking to monsters to talking to humans and needing a translator. Its wicked cool, monsters can understand the intent behind my signs so I never needed a translator but with other humans I almost always need a translator and it got to be really frustrating because no one could understand me and dad always changes my words a bit because he says I need to be less blunt but I think….”</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <span>Chara is interrupted by Stretch </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“woah woah kiddo, let her sit down before signin’ her ear off, heh.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He shoots a wink your way as he says this and you smile. Chara smiles sheepishly and rubs the back of their head with a palm. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <b>“Sorry, I got a little excited.”</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <span>Shaking your head, you sit in the seat next to Stretch and reply </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <b>“Hey, don’t worry about it, I understand”</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <span>The next few minutes after the introductions are spent casually speaking about general things, after everyone makes their order. Seems as if Laura isn’t here to make your coffee today, which sucks because she’s the only one who will make it sweet enough. You all speak of what everyone plans to do for jobs, G to human money values, and eventually the conversation slips into what Chara plans to do. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“So, as the ambassador you’ll be travelling around with Asgore and helping ease tension between him and human leaders?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You’ve swapped from ASL to speaking, since Chara is mute, but not deaf.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <b>“Yes! I am going to make everyone see that monsters are nice and they have nothing to worry about”</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <span>You chuckle at the childs enthusiasm. What an awesome kid, so young but already so willing to help out like this.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Well that's awesome! It’s a noble goal to have, I wish more people were willing to help out like you are. You’re right, monsters deserve to be treated as equals, because they </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>equals. It bothers me so much that people can be so shi…” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You pause as you see a mild glare from Asgore, then continue after clearing your throat </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Ehem, crappy, to anyone who is even mildly different to them.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Chara smiles and nods, sipping at the hot cocoa in front of them. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Asgore turn to Toriel with a slight nod, she returns the gesture and folds her paws together, and then addresses you. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“So, a friendly gathering was not all we wished to bring you here for.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Everyone shares happy, yet knowing, looks, as if they knew this was coming. You get a big thumbs up from Alphys and Asriel. Not sure how to react, you ask </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Oh, what’s up?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Toriel clears her throat, and continues.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Well, as you mentioned, Chara is our ambassador. And they are doing a great job! However, you understand how humans can be. Chara is a child, and one that could be viewed as different in the eyes of other humans. So, we have a proposition for you. We would like to offer you a position as an ambassador for us monsters, the position will be paid well. We will be travelling around quite a lot, any place you stay will be paid in full as a part of the benefits of the position.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Your eyes widened and you blanched. They wanted </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>as an ambassador?? It seemed like such a serious position for you, but the more you think on it, the better it seems. Not only would it get you away from your dead end job, but you would be helping an entire species. Not to mention the Queen also mentioned good pay. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The whole table is watching you as you take a few deep breaths to calm yourself. Yes, you think, you can do this. A fantastic way to help with change for the better! You also think about your position socially, you barely know anyone anyways and any friends you’ve had in the past have left you in the dust. You nod resolutely to yourself.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I think I would really like that! But, I do have to ask, why me? I’m not an influencer, and I’m not even really well known in this community. Wouldn’t it make more sense to find someone that people are aware of?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Toriel nods, expecting such a reply. Most positions of power in the human world go for popularity, instead of the actual personality and talent of the person.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“We have discussed this at length, and we believe you to be the best for the position. Not only are you kind, you are honest and protective of those you see as friends. You also try to do the right thing even if it puts you in a bad spot. We believe you would be an exquisite ambassador.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>A blush creeps up your face at her praise. You try not to brag about the way you are, protecting people and helping others is just what you felt everyone should do. It wasn’t about seeking praise, but about being a good person. You nod resolutely at the Monster Queen. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Alright, I’ll do it!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Everyone at the table seems to release a breath at the same time. Alphys pumps her fist in the air with a cheer</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Aw fu…. I mean… Heck yeah!! You’re stuck with us now!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You and Chara giggle at Alphy’s almost curse, that was stopped by a glare from Asgore. Toriel claps her hands together in glee.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Oh wonderful! Thank you for agreeing, and so quickly! I would have assumed you needed time to think about it a bit more, but no matter. For now, we can postpone further talk until I have the paperwork ready for you.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The whole table is grinning at you, and Asriel can’t seem to contain his excitement, as he gets up and runs around the table to give you a hug. You wheeze a bit as he squeezes you, damn this kid is stronger than he looks! You put your arms around him as well and let out a wheezy giggle. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I am so so glad you agreed! Now we’ll get to hang out all the time!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You laugh at Asriel’s words. It’s been a long time since someone has been this excited to see you on a regular basis, and it's refreshing to say the least. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’m glad too! It’s going to be a lot of work I imagine, but a lot of fun too. I just gotta find someone to watch Spaghetti any time I’m out of town.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Asgore tilts his head, “Spaghetti?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You giggle at his reaction as you and Asriel break the hug. He goes back to his side of the table and sits down, as he does this Stretch pats your head and grins at you. You blush a bit at the action, which makes his grin turn to a smirk. You try to get back on topic before you get distracted too much. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yeah! Spaghetti is my pet snake, she doesn’t need much but I’m always more comfortable having someone check on her every other day or so if I’m out of town.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Undyne’s eyes widen, and Alphys slams her hands down on the table. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You have a SNAKE?? That’s so bada.. Uh, cool, that's so cool!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Once again she corrects her curse after a glare from Asgore. This seems to be a regular occurrence. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You nod your head once “Yeah! If you ever want to meet her just let me know, she’s a sweetheart. She even wears hats sometimes!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Blue’s eyes sparkle at that, and he puts his hands on his cheeks and squee’s a bit. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“THAT IS JUST TOO PRECIOUS! I MUST MEET HER SOON, SHE SOUNDS ADORABLE!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The rest of the get together goes smoothly, everyone seems to be happy at your answer for becoming an ambassador. At the end, you and Toriel make plans to meet up and get paperwork filled out. Everyone says their goodbyes, and Stretch offers to walk you home, which gains him an odd look from nearly everyone except Toriel and Asriel who look incredibly smug.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I appreciate the offer Stretch, but I drove my car here. It’s a bit too much of a walk here for me, so I tend to drive here instead.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He nods,</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“‘lright  then, well we’ll see ya later then.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>_____________________________________________________________</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Stretch couldn’t be happier with the outcome of the meetup. He knew that you would agree, he was only a bit nervous at you quitting your current job just to work as an ambassador. Now that he’s finally gotten over that odd feeling he got whenever you were around, he was glad to be back to his smooth self. Seeing you blush had been adorable, and he was thinking of more ways he could get that reaction to you when Blue speaks up from across the apartment. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“THAT WENT VERY WELL! I AM GLAD SHE AGREED, I COULDN’T THINK OF ANYONE BETTER TO BE AN AMBASSADOR FOR US.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Stretch chuckles </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“dunno bro, i think youd be happy if it was laura too. too bad she wasnt at the coffee shop today, eh?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Blue pokes his head in the room with a blue blush on his face</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“WELL, YES. MISS LAURA IS ALSO A VERY NICE WOMAN, THOUGH SHE’S TOLD ME SHE ISN’T TOO COMFORTABLE WITH CONFRONTATION. SHE IS VERY HAPPY WITH HER COFFEE SHOP JOB”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Smirking, Stretch leans over the side of the couch to look at his brother. Blue looks happy, adorably so, as he stares off into space for a minute or so. Oh yeah, his brother has a massive crush on this girl. Stretch is supportive, but still semi protective of Blue. He doesn’t know Laura quite as well as he knows you. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“ah, seems like youve been talking to her a bit then i take it?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Blue straightens up immediately as his blush gets darker and spreads over most of his face. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I- WELL, YES. I MEAN, SHE AND I ARE FRIENDS SO OF COURSE WE TALK!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Stretch leaves it at that, while he wants to tease more he’s also bone-tired from everything today. Heh. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He goes over to his room to take a nap, and oddly enough finds it hard to fall asleep. He’s thinking of you, of how he’s going to see you more often. His soul pulses at the thought, and he shakes his head. Why does it react like that? He really needs to find those old books on souls and their reactions to others that Toriel has so he can figure this out. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He flops over to his other side with a huff, and tries to clear his mind. Thoughts of your outfit today invade his mind, and his orange magic starts to glow inside his chest a bit. You looked so good it was almost a crime. Stretch isn’t entirely dense, he knows he’s attracted to you. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Without his permission, his hand moves up to start and stroke his ribcage, closing his eye sockets. He thinks about your lips, your curves in that lovely blouse, your ass. Goddamn he loves your ass. Groaning a bit, his hand travels downwards towards his pelvis, where his magic is starting to gather. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The second it reaches down there though, he is filled with a feeling of guilt. You are his friend, and he’s thinking of you in lewd ways. Usually he didn’t have a problem with this, he’s found plenty of his friends attractive enough for this, and never felt bad. He shakes his head and tries again, but the guilt makes his magic die down. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He respects you too much to fantasize like this, apparently. Which is odd because he doesn’t think he respects any of his other friends he’s got off to any less than he respects you. Hell, one of his best friends, Muffet, was a regular in his fantasies. Groaning, this time in frustration, he takes his hands off of himself and puts his face directly down into the pillow. He falls asleep in this position, frustrated and confused.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ooooh Stretch, why do you feel guilty touching yourself to the thought of reader hmmmm?? As a note, Stretch has had some flings here and there but has never really had anything serious. He never was a relationship guy, preferring one night stands and friends with benefits type deals.<br/>Now I have a question for you guys. Should I spend another chapter or two world building, or should I start getting more into the plot? Is there anything about this version of swap that y'all don't quite understand or is it explained enough to start getting to the real plot?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Shit gets real</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which many things happen</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>What is this??? A double update??<br/>Also a note for the last chapter, the reason Stretch is feeling guilty is because he has feelings for reader that he's not aware of, and all of his flings and friends with benefits he had no feelings for the other person so there was no guilt.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A moan rings through the room as a large, skeletal hand runs up your side. A soft chuckle can be heard from above you, as your back arches into the touch. “Ah, Stretch </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span> stop with the teasing!” An orange glow fills the room, you look up to see Stretch’s ribcage glowing orange. The color is steadily flowing downwards, towards his pelvis. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The glow is coming from his mouth as well, and before you can blink a large, magic orange tongue is peeking out behind his teeth. Stretch leans down to your mouth, and you wonder how a kiss works with a skeletal partner and oh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh.</span>
  </em>
  <span> That is nice. His facial bones are malleable, and form to your lips firmly. He wastes no time in parting your lips, his ridiculously long tongue tangling with yours. You take a moment to wonder how and </span>
  <em>
    <span>why </span>
  </em>
  <span>his tongue is so freakishly huge, but before you can ponder too long a growling noise escapes his chest and oh god that is </span>
  <em>
    <span>hot. </span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span><br/>
</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    <span><br/>
</span>
  </em>
  <span>“mmmmf darlin’ i could kiss you all night.” He gently rubs his pelvis against yours, a bulge hits your center and you moan again. You nearly wonder about his anatomy, until he repeats the gesture harder with a grunt. Your legs automatically wrap around his middle. You suddenly notice that your shirt, and bra, are no longer on. When did that happen? </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You glance a bit further down, where the orange magic is trailing down his front. You realize you’d never seen him shirtless before now, but that thought is halted as your eyes reach his pants. His black sweatpants are barely holding back a large, sizable, glowing </span>
  <em>
    <span>something </span>
  </em>
  <span>and suddenly your thighs become slick. Fuck if thats what you think it is, then he is huge!</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Once again he leans down, but instead of reaching your mouth, he goes for your left breast and licks along the nipple, growling again when it hardens. “stars sweetheart, youre so goddamn beautiful” His tongue lolls out of his mouth, lavishing your nipple in attention before sliding its way up your chest and to your neck. Oh his tongue is long and hot and you can’t get enough! </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He starts to place large, open mouth kisses on your neck and you roll your hips with another moan. “Please, please do something. I need you” You were never one for begging but goddamn you need something from him or you’re going to explode!</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He smirks </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“mmmmh well i live to please ya” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Anticipation fills you as he lowers his head down, down and oh he is almost there! You can’t wait to feel his slick tongue enter you, you make contact with his eyelights as he winks and…</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <b>
    <em>*BEEP BEEP BEEP*</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em><br/>
</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em><br/>
</em>
  </b>
  <span>You pop awake sweaty, face fully red and thoroughly hot and bothered. Holy </span>
  <em>
    <span>shit</span>
  </em>
  <span> that dream had been hot as hell! You’re breathing heavily still, and your eyes widen as you fully comprehend the other person, er, monster, in your dream. You hide your face in your hands with a quiet “</span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span>”. Well, you wouldn’t be able to face Stretch after that. Stars above he’s a skeleton! How were you attracted to him! </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Stopping that thought, mildly ashamed of yourself for being a bit racist, you sigh. Your imagination was wild if it thought up a tongue for a skeleton. Remembering how long you imagined it your face heated up more. ‘Oh jeez do I have a tongue fetish or some shit that I’m unaware of?’ you think to yourself. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You pat your cheeks with both hands to snap yourself out of it. It’s your day off, and you need to do something so your mind doesn’t linger on the dream. Before you can think about it you’ve pulled out your phone and opened your text conversation with laura.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You: </span>
  <b>Ay! What are you doing today??</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <span>Setting your phone back down, you get up to start getting ready for the day. Hair brushed, teeth brushed, water drank, you wonder what you want for breakfast when your phone chimes.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Flying Purple People Eater: </span>
  <b>Hey girl! I planned on doing absolutely nothing today. You free? I heard a new rock shop opened up across town if you want to check it out!</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <span>You smile, oh hell yeah! Your city had never had a rock shop, and while it sounds boring, they are always filled with such beautiful crystals and gemstones, not to mention they also have sage and other incense. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You: </span>
  <b>Hell fuckin yeah! Can we stop by the smoke shop on the way? I need to get new juice for my mod </b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <span>Flying purple people eater: </span>
  <b>Of course! Be there in twenty?</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <span>You: </span>
  <b>Works for me!</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <span>You spend the time waiting for her pacing the house, trying to keep yourself busy. It’s hard to distract yourself from thinking about your dream, and where it was about to head to. You definitely </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>think about that unnaturally long tongue, and what it was about to do. Nope, you don’t. And you also don’t think about how it would feel, sliding right where you wanted it, going deep and hitting your g-spot. A jolt of electricity goes down your spine and you can almost see his orange magic..</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The doorbell rings and breaks you from your thoughts. Oh stars is it hot in here or is it just you? Quickly fanning yourself with your hand to cool your face, you run to answer the door. You absolutely need a distraction today.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You throw the door open and immediately pull Laura into a frantic hug. She’s only slightly taller than you and she leans her head down towards yours while returning the hug. The peach fuzz on the left side of her head pokes at the top of your scalp, and her purple hair falls into your face. You pull back and take a look at the design she has in the shaved half of her head this week. It’s a star, and you smile.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Good morning starshine!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She plants her whole hand on your face as you giggle at her reaction. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Nuh uh girlie, no word play. I’ll kill you and bring you back to life, just to kill you again”. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She can’t hide the giggle behind her voice while she says this though. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Alright, lets go! I wanna see all the cool stuff the shop has.” She loops her arm through yours and leads you to her car. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Okay so like you said, we’ll make a quick stop to the smoke shop, and then go straight over to that new shop. I really really hope they have the stupid crystals that look like tiny dildos. I have a huge collection of those, they’re hilarious.” She grins as she says this and you have to laugh. Of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course </span>
  </em>
  <span>she collected something as ridiculous as that. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>At the thought of dildos, your mind goes back to your dream and you blush. Goddamn this is not the time brain, quit it! </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Laura catches your blush and smirks as you both get in the car. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Ooooh what's that blush for? I know you ain’t blushing from the mention of dildos. Did you have a little get together? Spill the deets girl!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You should have known she would catch on. You groan as you drag your hand down your face. The car starts down the road.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“I uh. May have had a really wet dream last night?” You cringe as you say it. You know Laura won’t judge but it’s still embarrassing to talk about. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Ohoho, and who was in this dream? It wasn’t that handsome devil we saw at the stoplight the other day was it?”<br/>
You make a gagging noise </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“EW the one who was picking his nose and eating it?? Hell no, you’re gross!” You nearly shove her shoulder but then remember she’s driving and refrain. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“No no.. it.. It was.. Uuuuh” You hesitate a bit.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She smirks and smacks your arm </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“It was me, huh?? Girl you know you just have to ask, it has been too long since I’ve been laid!”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You can’t help but snort at that </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Ha, your bisexual ass wishes! No. It uh.” Your blush intensifies. “It was Stretch.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Her eyes widen comically wide, along with her smirk. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Oh SHIT I knew it! Y’all have chemistry!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You make an inhuman screeching noise at this. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“No! I mean. It was just a dream, we all have those about our friends sometimes, right??” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Right?</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Laughing, she barely manages to stop at a red light before letting herself lose it. Her laughter is contagious and soon both of you are nearly in tears. You manage to speak up before her </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“No I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>serious, </span>
  </em>
  <span>it's a normal thing! Happens all the time!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Her laughter calms down a bit.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Ooooh so you dream about your friends often like that? You horn dog!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The laughing fit you both were having starts back up. Man it feels good to laugh like this, and just be silly with a friend. How long has it been since you haven’t felt weird talking about things like this? </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She pulls into the parking lot of the smoke shop and the two of you head in. It's a quick little trip, you know the juice you like, so you’re in and out in no time and headed to the rock shop. As she pulls back out of the parking lot, she nudges your shoulder. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Soooooo, was this imaginary Stretch any good?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You blush, but are kind of happy that talking about this stuff is so normal to her. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Okay. Don’t laugh at me. But it was kind of awesome? I mean, we didn’t really get to </span>
  <em>
    <span>bone down </span>
  </em>
  <span>before I woke up but I think I have a tongue fetish?? Because his tongue was fuckin huge! Like comically so,  it almost makes me laugh now. But stars it was really realistic for a dream too!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She nods, not laughing just as you requested her not to. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Okay. First question. How the hell did he even have a tongue?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You threw your hands in the air and bonked them on the ceiling of the car. “I don’t know man! It was fucking orange though!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>This time she has to hold in a snort. “Oh my god what even is your brain. Orange???” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The thought of sex reminds you of your talk with Undyne, which in turn reminds you of her soul study.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Laughing, you put a hand on her shoulder. “Okay not to change the subject, but Undyne is doing a study on adult human souls. I did mine and it was super neat to see all the info on me! It's like a video game dude, our souls all have stats and colors and shit. She says she’s taking volunteers and I told her I’d ask if you want to participate?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“YES OH MY GOD” You almost flinch as she replies not a split second after you finish talking. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You open your mouth to reply, when a huge boom shakes the car and nearly sends you two careening off the road. She slams on the brakes and skids to a stop. A fast food shop directly across the street, well known for letting monsters in and kicking out bigots that are racist towards them, is up in flames. The boom you heard was apparently an explosion, as half the building is caved in. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You immediately undo your seatbelt and open the car door, running to the building. People and monsters alike are screaming and running out of the place. A rabbit monster woman is being cradled by a large, werewolf looking monster. Both of their fur is charred and you run up to them to see what is happening. You don’t see Laura running up behind you until she reaches your side. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The rabbit lady speaks up to the wolf, not noticing you or Laura. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Please, please my baby is in there we have to go back!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Your chest feels tight, and you feel an incredible amount of fear. But there is an innocent child inside, who the fuck could have done this! Without thinking, you push past Laura who is gently approaching the monsters, and run into the burning building. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Coughing, you start searching through burning debris. The bricks that make up the walls are precariously stacked now, and don’t look like they’ll hold much longer. Shit, you have to find this kid and bail, quick. The next few minutes feel like hours, as you flip debris after debris hoping that you can find the baby. You regularly have to lookout for panels falling off of what is left of the ceiling.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Suddenly, you hear a gentle whine coming from your left. Jumping over a slightly melting table, you search for the noise. It's getting harder and harder to see as you search, but you hear the noise again, closer this time. You force yourself to move forward, and you see a pillar laying on top of a high chair, with a long purple ear sticking out. You move quickly, and as you reach for the child the fire on the wooden pillar grows larger, charring your hands. Hissing, your hands flinch back.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>How the hell are you going to get this kid out? It should be simple to pull them out, as the only thing keeping them trapped in the high chair is the little strap in belt, but the fire is too close now. Your heart beats rapidly as you try and reach in again, you try not to close your eyes as your hands start to go numb with the heat. You feel a pressure in your chest, you think the smoke is starting to get to your lungs. Breathing heavy, you push and push your arms further, that pressure in your chest gets more and more intense. Suddenly, the pressure is released. A sizzling sound comes from the pillar, confusing you intensely. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>With a startled cry, you suddenly notice your hands are much cooler than they were before, the shock of the temperature change jarring. You see something blue-ish glowing in the smoke, no, steam? Why is there steam? You take a look at your arms, and notice water. It’s flowing starting at your chest, moving down your arm and into your splayed hand, dousing the fire on the pillar. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Taking a deep breath, you think you’re dying. What the ever loving hell is happening? Shaking your head, you look back at the steam and see it is still glowing that blue color. You quickly think that it reminds you of the color of your soul, before finally reaching down for the child. Whatever you did seems to have doused the pillar enough to where you can unbuckle the kid, and pull them out of the chair. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Looks to be a tiny little bunny girl, with purple fur and a little white ponytail on the top of her head. She is passed out, probably from smoke inhalation. You pull her to your chest, and quickly but carefully make your way back out the front door. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>In the time it took you to do all that, the fire department is there, Laura is crying, and Dr. Undyne is here looking at the two monsters that escaped the fire. A news reporter is trying to get to the scene but Alphys is keeping him from getting closer. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Didn’t you hear her?? There’s a goddamn child in there! Get your camera outta here before I crush it!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You step out of the rubble, coughing and holding the bunny child close to your chest. The noise attracts everyone's attention, and the bunny lady tries to stand, but immediately falls back down. You make your way over to her and hand her the child. She delicately takes her from you and starts crying.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Oh, Millie my darling! My baby girl, I thought you were going to be dust! Doctor, doctor please look her over! She isn’t waking up!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Undyne immediately takes the child, that you know now is named Millie, and a green glow appears in her hand and on Millie. Undyne has her eyes closed in concentration as you collapse onto your butt on the ground, still coughing. Laura runs up to you and hugs you tight. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Dumbass! I thought you were dead, what the hell were you thinking??” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Returning the hug, you cough and your eyes water. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“I couldn’t just *</span>
  <em>
    <span>cough</span>
  </em>
  <span>* do nothing. I had to help”. She doesn’t say anything, but pulls you closer. You hear tiny, childlike coughing and turn to see Millie waking up. She opens her tiny little eyes and looks around, and her mother lets out a sob. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Mommy? Mommy!!” Millie reaches for her mother and Undyne hands her off, heaving a sigh of relief. You all just kind of sit there, a few yards from the building, watching it burn. Suddenly you feel a soft paw on your shoulder and turn to see Millie's mother looking at you with big, teary, thankful eyes. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Miss? My name is Jasmine. Thank you so, so much for helping my baby. I thought I was going to lose her. She is my whole life after her father fell down. What is your name? I have to know the name of my daughters savior” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You blush at the attention and look at her. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“U-uh, my name is ____.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She pulls you into a side hug. “Thank you, ____. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Leaning into her, you reply “Don’t worry about it, I'm just glad Millie is safe.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Sirens are slowly approaching from the distance, and you all stay put while the officers arrive. The next few hours pass in a blur, you are all questioned by the officers and tell your parts of what happened. You conveniently leave out your apparent water bending abilities, still not sure if it was a hallucination from the smoke. You and Laura agree that it's best to try and go home after Undyne checks you for injuries. Your hands are burnt to all hell, and you are sent to the ER for treatment. Monsters aren’t yet allowed to heal humans or use magic on them at all. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>When you get home that night, hands bandaged and eyebrows singed, you flop down into your mattress. You smell like smoke and burnt hair, but you can’t bring yourself to care enough to take a shower. Breathing heavily from the stress, you lean up and pull your legs up against yourself. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You think hard about what happened in the building. Thought about what you were seeing, feeling and hearing. Your room starts to light up, and you can’t seem to find the source of the light. With a sudden realization, you open your phones front facing camera and nearly scream. Your eyes are </span>
  <em>
    <span>glowing. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It’s the same color as your soul, and you start shaking. What the hell?? What the ever living hell?? </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Closing your eyes for a minute, you remember a mention of human mages being the ones who made the magic barrier. You think on your past, trying to remember anything that would point to that. Nothing weird that you can think of. Taking a deep breath, you go back to the feelings in that building. Remembering how you felt when the water appeared on your arm. You feel that tightening in your chest again, and you concentrate on it. It builds, less aggressively this time, and finally pops. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Your eyes open, and once again a steady stream of water is making its way down your arm into your hand. You try not to panic. Okay, you can do this. You move your arm in a wave motion, but the water doesn’t budge. Just stays curled around your arm and in your palm. There’s got to be a way to move it! Thinking harder, you imagine the feeling you got when you pulled Millie out of the chair. The need to protect. You take that feeling and think of the shape of your soul, willing the water to react. It wiggles and waves a bit, before it starts gathering in your palm.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Slowly, it floats up out of your palm, and into the air. It’s wobbly, and not perfect, but it shapes into a little cartoon heart. The glow from your eyes makes it look the same color as your soul. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Holy shit” You whisper. </span>
  <span></span><br/>
<span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“I’m a fucking water bender.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>WELP. I had to go with 'reader is a mage'. I've been debating for weeks on whether or not I wanted reader to be a human with a weapon, or a mage. for the plans I have for her, it would make the most sense and flow the best if she were a mage. Sooooo yeah. Mage trope for the win!</p><p>Also<br/>Stretch thinking of reader lewdly and readers wet dream couldn't be related by the soul mate bond, could they? :3c</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Relaxation?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Reader tells Toriel about what happened, and spends time relaxing with Laura</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next morning, you had Toriel on the phone as soon as you woke up. It had been a scattered, very confused conversation on her end, but you ended up just telling her you really need to see her in person. Something like this really couldn’t wait and so before you knew it you were on your way over to the monster apartments. You arrived quickly, and tried not to make your knocks on her door sound frantic. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The door opened and Toriel was there, a concerned but kind look on her face. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Hello there! Come on in, what was it you needed to speak with me about?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Your calm façade immediately broke and you started pacing, running your hands through your hair.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Okay so! You know how I went into that burning building? Something really weird happened and I wouldn’t have been able to get to the kid if it weren’t for that thing but I don’t know how anyone is going to react and I don’t know what to do andimkindofpanickingandreallyjustneedtoknowwhattodo??” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Toriel's eyes widened as your speech got more frantic, eventually just meshing together words. She put her large paws on your shoulders and looked you directly in the eye. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“It is alright, calm down. Slowly now, what happened?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You nod, trying to slow your breathing and heart rate. How to word this rationally and calm, like a bonafide adult? </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Okay. Okay. You know how you said mages made the barrier to the underground?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She nods once at this, a pensive look on her face. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Okay. Well. Since mages are real. It means they exist. And I think. I might be a mage?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The end of the sentence comes out more as a squeak than anything, but you know she heard you based on how her goat-like ears perk forward a bit and her eyes widened. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You say you think you are a mage?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You nod frantically, running your hands through your hair once again. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“What makes you say this?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Sighing, you pull your hands down from your hair. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I uh. Think it would be better to show you?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Toriel nods and makes a ‘go ahead’ gesture. Like you did the night before, you think about the need to protect that child in the fire. The need to put the fire out. You start to see the faint blue glow around the room, the one you know is now coming from your eyes. Toriel gasps at this, and puts her paws on her snout, but lets you continue. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You let the feeling flow and feel the water starting to appear on your arms again, flowing out onto your palm. You make the same shape as you did the night before, the heart/soul shape, and it solidifies in your hand. You let out the breath you didn’t realize you were holding, and look up at Toriel. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Her face is hard to read for a moment, then changes to pensive. After a moment of that, she sighs as well. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Well, there is no doubt that you are correct. Even with just seeing your eyes I could tell. From what I have learned here on the surface, mages have not existed since the barrier was put up. I am.. Unsure of what could cause mages to be born. But it seems that they still exist, even after all this time. I will have to contact Undyne to speak about this.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She stops for a second to think, and then realizes something. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“If that is okay with you, of course. I am unsure if you would like anyone to know about this.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>That wasn’t exactly the response you were expecting, but you’ll take it.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yes, please. I would really like to know what's going on and why I suddenly can do magic. Plus, I trust Undyne.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Alright then. Well, if it is alright with you, would you like some basics on how magic works?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You smile, touched that she would offer to teach you. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I would love that!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The next few hours is spent practicing what you can do, and learning that magic is about intent. Because you intended to protect the monster child, your magic was calm and moved to the fire calmly. Toriel explained that if you had a true opponent that you wanted to protect someone from, the magic would have formed some sort of weapon. After some trial and error, you manage to form a whip from your water. Satisfied that you understand, she then gets the paperwork for you to fill out to become an official monster ambassador. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“___, if I may ask, could you not tell any humans about your mage status yet? Monster and human relations are very delicate at the moment, and I would like to wait to see if any more mages pop up before word spreads.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You smile and give her a thumbs up. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Of course! I didn’t plan on anyone knowing other than you and possibly the boys until we figure out what's going on. Thank you so much for your help Tori, I have a much better understanding of how it works now.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She smiles back and puts her paw on your back, gently leading you to the door.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“It was no trouble. You will contact me if something you don’t understand happens, yes?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Of course! I’ll call you if anything else happens. Will you call when you get a hold of Undyne?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Smiling, she nods and you say your goodbyes. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>_________________________________________</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The second the door closes, Toriel leans back against it and slides down to the floor. She is incredibly grateful that Asriel was visiting Asgore right now. Her paws move to land on the top of her head and her claws come out, grating her scalp. Memories zoom by, unable to be stopped. Flashes of glowing eyes, lightning and water. The smell of monster dust. Monster children screaming for help and their parents as the mages push them further towards the mountain side. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The flashback envelops her, as she remembers the feeling of LV gained and the smell of searing human skin and hair. Tears come unbidden from her eyes as her claws dig deeper into her head, panic overcoming any pain from it. It takes her about fifteen minutes to regain her bearings and get back into any coherent thought.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She shakes her head. Out loud, she says “No. ___ is not like that. That was thousands of years ago. I am here, in the present. There is no current war.” Slowly, her claws recede from her scalp and her hands lower. Her breath is still coming in sporadic spurts and she has to concentrate on her breathing, bringing it back to normal slowly. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Mage. ___ is a </span>
  <em>
    <span>mage</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Toriel had hoped that the mages were gone, considering they had been erased from human history. She has to tell herself on repeat that you are a good person, you’d never harm anyone. The mages back in the day are not the same as you are. Her head comes up slowly as she realizes something. No mage had been by their side during the war, perhaps it was a good thing you’re a mage. Yes, having a mage with them would be a good thing. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Not only would Toriel get some exposure to a good mage, but perhaps this was the beginning of a lovely peaceful way of living. Monsters, mages, and humans could all live together in peace. She nods her head curtly, yes, this is a </span>
  <em>
    <span>good </span>
  </em>
  <span>thing.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Standing up and straightening her posture, Toriel feels something dangerous and exciting. Determination. She is going to call Undyne, they are going to figure this out, and mages will be welcomed by monsters with open arms. Nodding resolutely, Toriel picks up her phone to make a call.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>_________________________</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“So my soul is a dark burgundy, apparently that means I’m perseverance and determination! How cool is that?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You smile at Laura, during the events of this morning she had contacted Undyne and immediately went in for a scan. You had nearly forgotten mentioning it to her the night before, but you’re glad she went in to get it done. You had met at her work from some coffee, even though her shift wasn't until later she enjoyed the coffee enough to go in on her off hours. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Dude that’s awesome! Apparently mine are kindness and patience. I’m not sure what that entails but it’s kind of flattering.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>It was.. Odd, to have such a steadfast friend. You hadn’t told anyone in years, but you have some abandonment issues due to the first 18 years of your life having been. Well, not friendless but your friends seemed to want to hangout with you for a month, and then completely and permanently ghost you afterwards. Same with boyfriends. So needless to say, you were waiting for the pin to drop with Laura. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>It had been around two months since the monsters emerged, and you were having a bit of an existential crisis over the fact that Laura, and all your monster friends, hadn’t left you in the dust.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>After a few more minutes of conversation, the two of you decide to go back to your house to watch some tv.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You arrive and plop down on the couch, flipping on the channel. You had left it on the news station and to your surprise, the burning building from last night comes on screen. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“... thought to be a hate crime, this establishment was burnt down last night. The remaining occupant, a young rabbit monster, would have been eaten up in flames were it not for the mystery woman who ran in, risking her own life to save the child. We were unable to get an interview or name from the woman.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The clip changes and you see yourself, covered in ash and soot, stumbling out of the building with Millie in your arms. Alphys is suddenly in front of the camera, furious. You don’t make out what she is saying however, you are stunned into silence because behind Alphys, you can still make out a faint blue glow in your eyes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shit. </span>
  </em>
  <span>You hope no one sees that or they just play it off as a trick of the light.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Laura snorts affrontedly from beside you. “Can you believe them?? Trying to record you running out with a possibly dead child in your arms. These guys are heartless.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You nod in agreement as the scene changes to a random civilian man. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The interviewer says into the mic, “Sir, what do you think about the events of last night, with the burning building?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The man sneers as she offers the mic to him. “I think that woman is crazy. She should have let the damn place burn down, but she ran in for one of those creatures. Crazy monster loving bit-”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The camera cuts back to the news office quickly, nervous looks on the faces of the Anchors. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Please note that opinions of people interviewed do not necessarily align with the opinions of the news station. But now we beg the question, what was the cause of the fire? Officers and firemen are on scene inspecting the damage and attempting to find the original cause.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Both you and Laura are furious. You turn to her and throw your hands up </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“What the FUCK was up with that guy?? He’s mad that I saved a monster?? Talk about an asshole” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She grits her teeth </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Honestly what the hell! He basically just wished death upon a child. A fucking child! What is wrong with the world today.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Just then your phone beeps with a new text message. You open it up and see that it’s Stretch. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Stretchypants: </span>
  <b>hey are you alright? i saw what happened on the news</b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <span>You groan, you weren’t quite ready to talk about it. After talking with Toriel, you kind of just wanted to have a bit of a normal day. You knew you’d have to tell Stretch about your magic at some point, you were just hoping it wouldn’t be this soon. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You: </span>
  <b>Hey! Yeah, I’m good. Just taking things a bit easy today, Laura and I are just relaxing at my house. </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <span>There, that should do for now. Hopefully he doesn’t pry, you aren’t ready to really talk about what happened. You do plan on telling Stretch about your mage status eventually, but right now you just wanna have a normal day hanging out with your friend. You perk up suddenly, getting an idea. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Laura! You haven’t met Spaghetti yet, have you?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She shakes her head with a wide smile, “No, I haven’t! I wanna meet her, lemme see her!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Laughing, you gesture for her to follow you to your bedroom. You open your bedroom door and flip the light on, peeking into Spaghetti’s enclosure you see that she’s asleep in one of her hides. Next to the enclosure you have a collection of every color of play dough. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Okay, before we take her out, you wanna help me make a few tiny hats?? I could use the cheering up right now and Spaghetti in hats is the cutest!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Laura squeals and you laugh at her as she says, in the highest pitch voice you can imagine her making “Yes oh my GOD yes!!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The two of you spend the next thirty minutes or so crafting tiny little hats, including a flower crown, a Viking hat, and a bow. Laura is giggling like a maniac while crafting the Viking hat. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“This is gonna be so CUTE oh my god” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You laugh at her statement, and stand up to get Spaghetti out of her enclosure. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Okay, Spaghetti is absolutely a sweetheart, but when you lift her be sure to support her full body, and let her have freedom to move too. Makes her more comfortable” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Laura nods frantically with a huge smile on her face. You pop open the enclosure and lift the hide she is under, scooping her up gently. Spaghetti flicks her tongue a few times at you, and doesn’t even flinch as you take her out. Laura is doing grabby arms at her so you hand her off, getting ‘ooooh’s and ‘aaaah’s from your friend. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Dude she is gorgeous! She looks like soft serve ice cream, what the crap.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You pull your phone out while laughing, </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Say cheese!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Laura smiles and says ‘Cheeeeeeeeese’ with the biggest, cheesiest grin ever. You snap the photo, and immediately send the it to her. The next hour is spent balancing the hats gently on the snakes head, taking as many photos as you can before it falls off, laughing with Laura, and just generally having a great time. Not once do you think of your mage status and what happened in the fire. Eventually, you put Spaghetti back and have to say goodbye to Laura. She’s got the late shift at the coffee shop. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Thank you for coming over, I had so much fun!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You’re squeezing her in a big hug, sad to see her go for the day. She pats your back, then pulls back with a grin. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I should be thanking you! Spaghetti is adorable, and making the hats for her is like, cathartic. I had fun too, we’ll do it again sometime!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The grin you're wearing turns into a bit of a grimace, everyone said that before they ghosted. Shaking your head, you force a laugh and a smile. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Of course dude! I’ll text you, okay?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She nods and heads out on her way. The second she is out the door, you plop onto the couch with your head in your hands. Letting out a huge sigh, you try and push the anxiety down. Your abandonment issues weren’t something you dealt with often, as you tried to avoid getting too close to anyone. As of late that had gotten more and more difficult. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“It’s fine, if it happens again I’m used to it.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You’re free for the rest of the day, and not really sure what to do with yourself. Usually hangouts drained you, no matter how much fun you had, but Laura hadn’t drained you at all. She’s a positive person, laughing and making jokes at nearly everything, it’s refreshing honestly. You sigh, and decide to binge one of your favorite shows to pass the time. </span>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yet another headcanon of mine, Toriel and Asgore were in the war and have PTSD. Toriel thought she had it under control, but hadn't encountered a mage since the war and old memories pop up. Also, Spaghetti is based off of my snake, Leliana. All of those hats are hats I've made for her in the past :P</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. One Step Forward, Two Steps back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Reader starts her job as ambassador, and visits the skelebois.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am SO sorry this chapter took so long, I had such intense writers block. But I am passionate about finishing this fic, so I pushed through. Please take heed of warnings!</p><p>WARNING: <br/>Mention of depression<br/>Mention of suicide<br/>Suicidal thoughts<br/>Almost attempted suicide</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>The next day, you posted the pictures of Spaghetti in her adorable hats to your blog, and went to write out your two weeks notice for your current job. You also texted Toriel about when the first human monster relations meeting would be, what exactly you needed to learn, and what the dress code would be for said meeting. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Turns out, the next meeting was within the two weeks you had left at your old job. Sighing, you realized you would either have to swap shifts with someone, or ask for the day off. You opted to swap shifts, considering requesting a day off after putting in the two weeks notice would likely get rejected. Luckily, one of your coworkers was willing. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>The next week passed in a blur of working, talking to Toriel, and getting ready for the meeting. You wanted to be completely ready to handle what the politicians would dish out, knowing that there would be deep rooted racism towards the monsters. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>The day of the meeting had finally arrived, and you were incredibly nervous. You were dressed in a nice grey skirt, with a matching grey blouse. You were trying to look formal, and professional at the same time. You sighed, looking at Laura through the video call on your phone. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I am so nervous, dude. This is such a big thing, so incredibly important for the future of humans and monsters. I really hope I don’t screw anything up.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>She waved her hand at you in a dismissing gesture. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“You’ll be fine! You’re strong, charismatic, and you have a kickass outfit!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You giggle at her compliment. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Well, I can’t argue with you there. It </span><em><span>is </span></em><span>a snazzy outfit.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>The time of the meeting quickly arrived, and you and Laura said your goodbyes. You met Toriel outside her apartment, Chara, Asriel, and Asgore were there as well. Toriel smiled brightly and gestured to your outfit </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“You look very lovely!”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You duck your head a bit and blush</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Aww, thanks Tori. I wasn’t really sure what to wear, I know it's a professional meeting but I didn’t want to seem stuck up or anything.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>She nods at your answer. </span><span><br/></span><span>“Yes, of course! I do believe you did very well. Come now, we should be early to do introductions.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>All of you jam into Toriel's newly acquired SUV, she and Asgore being the only two monsters who were currently allowed to learn to drive. From what they have said, that is precisely what the meeting will be about. Monsters had made headway in being allowed to get jobs, and so they needed their own transportation. Many people argued they could take the bus, however nearly all bus drivers had the ‘no monsters’ sign in their dash. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Toriel had you take the front seat, Chara, Asriel, and Asgore all mushed into the back. You turned your head to him, </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“You know, I wouldn’t have minded you taking the front seat. It can’t be comfortable cramped up back there like that.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>A deep rumble of a chuckle escaped Asgore at that. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“While I do appreciate the thought, I would much rather be back here with my children.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>While his attention was on you, you noticed Asriel and Chara give each other a look. The type of look only other siblings would understand. You hide a grin behind your hand, it seems like the kids were planning something. You could only hope it was something positive. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>The drive over to the office was quiet, but not uncomfortable. At least, to anyone but you. While everyone else in the vehicle was used to this type of meeting, this was first and needless to say you’re nervous. You nearly started to regret accepting this position. What if you were terrible at convincing people? You’d never been in charge or an important part of anything like this before. Quickly, your breath started coming in short bursts, the beginnings of a panic attack. What if you made things worse for the monsters? What if something you said got twisted and you ended up getting the measly rights they had taken away? What if…</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You suddenly felt a small, soft paw on your shoulder. Looking back, you see Asriel smiling sweetly at you. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Hey, it’s gonna be okay. You got this.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Managing a smile, you pat his hand. Quickly you think to yourself, ‘I’d protect Asriel with my life.’ before replying </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Thank you, Asriel. I guess I’m just nervous is all.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>He smiles wider and nods back at you. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“You’ll do great!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You all arrive, and quickly shuffle out of the SUV. You’re led to a meeting room, the ones you see on tv with the massive oval table, and too many chairs. You’re seated on the far side, next to Toriel. Then seated next to her was Asriel, then Chara, then Asgore. As the first ones there, you weren’t sure what to do. Toriel meanwhile brought out your papers, along with some others that were marked </span><span><br/></span><span>“Hand eye coordination”</span><span><br/></span><span>“Intelligence”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>And a few others. Once the folders were out on the table, the door opened to a large group of men in business suits, and a single woman. Among the men was the Mayor, Don, and the woman is his secretary, Julianne. Your eyes brighten at the two, as you and the other two adults stand to do introductions. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Greetings everyone. As you know I have been talking about getting a new human ambassador for us monsters, to help Chara and I work with you. I have hired one, everyone, this is ___.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Putting on your game face, you shake each and every hand, reintroducing yourself to the mayor and his secretary and formally introducing yourself to the rest. You think you hear a “great, another monster lover” grumbled in the background, however you can’t pinpoint who exactly said it. After introductions, everyone gets seated and the meeting begins with Mayor Don. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“The purpose of today's meeting is to discuss the pros and cons of monsters becoming employed, and the pros and cons of monsters being allowed to own and drive vehicles. Does anyone have a starting statement?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>A clean cut, blonde haired blue eyed man, who’s name you recall was Chad (Which of course made you giggle internally) raises his hand first and is called upon to speak. He smooths down his dress coat and runs his hand up and over his slicked back hair. Clearing his throat, he begins. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I believe monsters do not yet know enough about surface life to properly work a job. While their technology in the underground is advanced, their way of life is still a few centuries behind ours. They could easily offend customers, and not only that, I do not believe they would be willing to listen to any bosses. They seem to remain loyal to the King and Queen of monsters. I also do not believe monsters should be allowed to drive. Many of the monsters I’ve seen have had a single eye, or no eyes at all, which would cause them to be a danger on the road. There is also the question of road rage, which a lot of people get. People can only scream and shout their anger, however monsters have magic. Who’s to say they wouldn’t injure someone in anger while driving, causing a crash and possibly a traffic jam?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>A good portion of the men nodded in agreement, and Chad leaned back in his chair, seemingly satisfied with his argument. You’re pissed, because the guy is actually really smart, if not assuming in his argument. You sometimes forget even bigots can be smart and calm. Before you can open your mouth with a rebuttal however, Toriel opens up the files. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“While you do make a good point, Mr. Chad,” You have to hold in another giggle at his name “I have scientific research done here to refute the points you have made. While our way of life is different, we are very respectful in general. Our souls are made of hope, kindness, and magic. Years of soul scans are listed here, that were done in the underground. While your science is based on the physical, ours is based on magical and not so physical. We have certain technology that can pick out a person's core beliefs, and nearly every monster in the underground is willing to listen to superiors, and know how to react to customers properly. Monsters also may ‘look’ with their eyes, but we can also see with our souls. There is human research here to prove that even eyeless monsters are not blind, and single eyed monsters do not have depth perception issues. Our magic comes from our souls, and is us just in another form. We do not lose control over it so easily as many may think. I myself, the king, and a few other monster volunteers went through stress tests to prove as much. Not only that, but us being a kind and compassionate species would not get this ‘road rage’ as you call it, as easily as humans may.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Chad looks incredibly disgruntled at this, obviously trying to think of more points to use against the monsters, but the proof is right in front of him in the form of many different studies. He sits up,</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Well, how do we know you aren’t lying about these tests done in the underground? You could have taken them above ground and changed the dates to try and further your agenda.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You calmly stand up, as you know the answer to this from talking to Undyne. “Another good point, Mr. Chad, however I have been made aware that all the machines used to do these analysis underground are no longer powered. The power from the underground came from the core, which was both powered by the lava in the underground, and the magical energy coming off the barrier. Once the barrier was taken down, the core shut down and the underground lost power. None of these papers would be possible to falsify while the machines are down as they are. The machines have not been allowed to be moved to the above ground yet. Human scientists have even been allowed into the underground to investigate, and they can attest to this.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Chad gives you a dirty look, but doesn’t have any proof to refute your claim. Several other men mumble under their breath at your answer, but don’t have any rebuttals either. Toriel absolutely beams at you, looking like a proud mother. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>The next hour or so is spent in a similar way, Chad leading the way to keep from giving monsters more rights, and you and Toriel refuting statements with facts. Asgore and Asriel mostly nod and grunt in agreeance or disagreement to statements. Every once and a while Chara signs something and you translate for the room, however you can tell nothing they say is being taken seriously, which irks you. Eventually, the meeting comes to a close. It's the Mayor who makes the final statement. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Thank you all for your contributions today. We will be working on creating bills to send to the higher ups of the state, to get monsters the right to both earn their driver's license and to work jobs. Meeting adjourned.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Half of the men, including Chad, look disgruntled and upset at the news. However they don’t argue, and are the first to get up and leave. The other half don’t look super proud, or happy, just content. You resist the urge to roll your eyes at them, you could tell they didn’t really give a fuck what happened one way or the other. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Everyone else makes their way out of the building, and the second you get into the van Asriel gives a big ‘WOOP!’ And everyone joins in. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“My dear, you did absolutely perfect! You did not seem aggressive one bit, and your arguments were all well thought out. I am proud of you!”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You duck your head at Toriel's praise. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I’m just glad I was of some help! I hope the higher ups in the state decide to let the bill through.” She nods with excitement </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Yes, that will be a wonderful step forward for monster rights. Things are looking up, and I am so glad for it!”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>The rest of the drive home is much the same, the excitement nearly palpable in the air. Back at the apartments, you follow Toriel and the others up the stairs. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Would you like to join us for some tea? I have some lovely golden flower tea you may enjoy.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You shake your head at Toriel's request </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Sorry Tori, I was actually going to pay the skeleton brothers a visit in their apartment and tell them the good news!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>She claps her hands together. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“How wonderful! Well, you know you are welcome any time for tea and a visit.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You say your goodbyes, and head to the brothers apartment. When you get to the door, you hear boisterous laughter and talking. Way more than two voices. You knock twice on the door, and near instantly you hear Stretch on the other side. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“who’s there?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You giggle, and quickly think up a joke.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Wood.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“wood who?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Would you be so kind as to let me in?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You hear a deep chuckle from him as he opens up the door. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“hey there sweetheart, welcome to the party”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Taking a peek in, you see Alphys, Undyne, Laura, and Blue all sitting on the floor. Seems like they’re playing a drinking game, two truths and a lie? You smile and approach the rambunctious group. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Drinking this early guys?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>The whole group cheers at your arrival. Alphys is the first to reply </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“HELL yes! We all somehow managed to get today and tomorrow off, I think Queen Toriel did that on purpose, so we decided it was time to get wasted! Did that boney nerd not text you or what?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You tilted your head at Stretch, who shrugged.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“nah i texted her, no reply though.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Oh! I haven’t checked my phone since this morning.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You open up your phone and, lo and behold, a message from Stretch.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><b>Stretchypants: </b><span>hey, were having undyne, alphys and laura over for some drinks. you want in?</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You shake your head and hold up the phone. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Sorry guys, I was at my first meeting as an ambassador. Laura, you knew this, why didn’t you tell them?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>She shrugs in apology and holds her drink up as an explanation. Rolling your eyes, you sit down in the circle as Alphys hands you a drink. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Well, good news from that, they’re gonna be sending a bill to the higher ups to allow monsters to work at human establishments, and be able to test for their drivers license!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Alphys takes a shot to that, and everyone else cheers. Blue finally speaks up. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“HUMAN! JOIN US IN OUR GAME OF TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE. IF WE GUESS THE LIE RIGHT YOU DRINK, AND IF WE GUESS ONE OF THE TRUTHS WE DRINK! IT IS VERY FUN!”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You laugh at his enthusiasm. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Count me in!”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Undyne speaks up “S-since you j-just got here and we’ve a-all gone, I say it’s y-your turn!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Nodding, you laugh, “Okay, fair enough! Hmmm. Gimme a sec to think. Are we going dirty with this or staying clean?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Undyne, Alphys, and Laura all shout out “Dirty!” Blue just shrugs. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Okay, okay I got it. I have had sex with the same sex, I have gone horseback riding, I’ve had a dry spell for over a year.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Everyone seems to ponder over this. Laura speaks up first. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“You’ve hinted at being straight, so I’m gonna go with having sex with the opposite sex as the lie.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You shake your head, much to the surprise of everyone in the room. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Wait what?? I thought you’re straight!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>A laugh escapes you at this. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Well, more like, demisexual with preference for dudes? I’m only really attracted to people that I have an emotional connection with, doesn’t have to be romantic. Though it doesn’t take long for me to form bonds with anyone.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>A chorus of “Ooooh” in understanding comes from the group. Looking over your shoulder, you see Stretch looking at you with interest. You blush mildly and turn back to the game. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Okay, I’m gonna be the one to say it. You’re hot as hell so it can’t be the dry spell, so I’m gonna say you’ve never been horseback riding!” Alphys grins wickedly, then turns to Undyne, who is nodding her head in agreement. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I-I was going to say the s-same thing.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You place your face in your hands to hide your blush at this one. Wow they are not afraid to speak their minds. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Ah, haha, take a drink you two.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Everyone looks at you with wide eyes. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“WAIT, REALLY? WOW, YOU ARE VERY PRETTY, IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME FOR YOU.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You try not to grimace. The only reason it had been so long for you was because anyone you had started to make friends with up and left before anything of that sort could happen, and you didn’t do one night stands. Sex wasn’t necessarily a romantic endeavor, however like you said, you could only really be attracted to people you already know and were attached to. You just shrug in response. You didn’t have to take a drink, and waited for the next round. After a while, you were fairly tipsy and suddenly remembered the fact that you’re a mage. You don’t want to tell everyone at once, so excuse yourself to the kitchen where Stretch has set up with a bottle of honey. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>He nods in your direction, </span><span><br/></span><span>“hey sweetheart, get tired of all the excitement?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You brush your hair behind one ear and smile. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Yeah. Well, that and uh, I have something I gotta tell you.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>His eye sockets widen for a moment, before a tiny orange blush appears on his cheek bones. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“uh yeah, go ahead” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You take a deep breath.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Well, you know that night I ran into the burning building for that kid?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>He nods.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Okay. So. Something really odd happened. The kid was trapped under a wood pole that was on fire. I thought I wasn’t going to get her in time. But. The weirdest thing happened. I uh. Made water? And put the fire out? I went to Toriel and she says that. Well, says that I’m a mage.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Stretch’s eyes widen and he drops the honey bottle. His hand automatically reaches up towards his chest, where his soul resides. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“a.. a mage.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You nod, and bring your hands up. The water comes out from your soul, into your palm, and you form the shape of a soul. He takes a step back, and shakes his head. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“i.. i gotta go.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>He disappears from sight immediately. Your heart lurches, hurt that he might be afraid of you. You sigh, semi-resigned. Well. Just another friend leaving when things get difficult or complicated. You’re used to it at this point, just another thing to hide behind the wall of happiness you put up. Taking another minute or so to shove that down, you finally shake your head and make your way back into the livingroom where the others are. Blue seems to be the only one still slightly sober. You walk up behind him. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Hey guys, I think I’m gonna head home. Long day, ya know?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Everyone smiles and nods. Good, they bought it. You then get Blue’s attention. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Do you think you can walk me home? I’m a bit tipsy, I don’t feel like I should be driving and I don’t feel safe walking alone. I’ll come back for my car tomorrow if that's okay?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“SURE THING FRIEND! I AM PROUD OF YOU FOR BEING SAFE. I CAN TAKE YOU WHENEVER YOU’RE READY.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You say your goodbyes to the group, however Laura hangs on to the hug a bit longer than the others. She whispers in your ear. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Hey, did something happen? You seem a bit off.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You shake your head. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“No, I’m okay. Just a bit tired.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>As the two of you pull away, she gives you a suspicious look but eventually relents. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Alright. I’ll see you soon?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Smiling, you nod, and let Blue walk you home.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>__________________________________</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Stretch, to put it lightly, is panicking. He took a shortcut to the first place he thought would be empty, back in he and Blue’s old house in Snowdin. No one was here and he could think. A mage. She’s a </span><em><span>mage</span></em><span>. Pacing, he runs his phalanges over his skull. Is that why his soul tugged around her? Was she manipulating him, all of them, into liking her? What is her end goal? Oh stars they made her the ambassador. He had to say, she was smart for running into the building to 'save' a child. She's hailed as a hero in the monster community now, nearly every monster knows and trusts her now. She has to be planning something big. This is bad, this is so bad. He has to stop this before something happens and the kid has to reset again. He doesn’t think he can handle doing it all over again. He’s lost count of how many resets have happened, and only a couple of those have been on the surface.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>He breathes out a sigh, he’s got to go to Toriel about this, this could be serious. His anger starts to catch up with him. How </span><em><span>dare </span></em><span>she pretend to befriend the monsters? She is the worst type of human, a trickster who is only out to use them or hurt them. He sets his jaw, and makes a decision before he can re think it. He has to go straight to her, and make sure she knows who she’s messing with. He is not going to deal with another reset! Then after that, he’ll go to Toriel. Yeah, that’s it! </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>He quickly makes a shortcut, directly in her neighborhood in front of her house. He sees his brother waving goodbye to her, and walking away. Good, she’ll be alone then. He waits for his brother to leave, and marches up to the door. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>________________________</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>As you close the door, you breathe out a sigh of relief. Being alone always helps you get yourself together again, helps you think clearly. You hope that Stretch merely needed time to think as well, that is quite the bombshell you dropped. Before you can even make it to the kitchen, a loud single knock sounds on your door. Confused, you go and open it again.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Oh! Stretch, I wasn’t expecting to see you. What’s up?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You don’t look at him as you say this, but glancing up you immediately deflate. Stretch looks </span><em><span>pissed.</span></em> <span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“i know what youre doing” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Taking a step back, you start shaking. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“What I’m doing? What are you talking about?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“dont play dumb with me! what do you have planned, mage? you think you can just waltz in and take control? not while im here. you better start staying far away from us, especially my brother!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You’d never heard Stretch raise his voice like this, and frankly it's scaring the shit out of you. What did you do? What did he think you did? </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Stretch... Papyrus, please, I have no idea what you’re talking about. What did I do?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Your use of his real name causes his face to drop into hurt for a second, but then goes back into an angry scowl. You reach for his arm, which he rips away. You feel a tight pain in your chest at the motion.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“let me just tell you this. if you hurt any of my friends, you are in for a </span><em><span>bad time</span></em><span>” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>With that, he turns around and storms off. You think you see his arm reach for his chest, before he disappears completely in a shortcut. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>In shock, you drop to your knees. Tears leak from your eyes, unbidden. The first thing you think to do is call Toriel, but you are scared to. It was supposed to be a happy day for monsters, a step in the right direction. But it seems like nothing good can last long in your life, as you reach up to close the door for some privacy. You sob, loudly wailing into your palms. Why is life always such shit?? Why did you ever think you would be happy? You stand, gritting your teeth, and head to the kitchen. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Before you can even think about what you’re doing, you already have a pill bottle in your hand. Your eyebrows scrunch up as you stare at it. It would be an escape. It might take a while, but it would get the job done. “I’m too much of a coward to do it a violent way, so why not.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You walk to your room, a bottle of water and the pills in your hand. You’re spiraling, and a tiny sensible part of you is screaming to stop, but you can’t hear it. The last two times had failed, but you’d make sure it works this time. No one would have to deal with you anymore, and you wouldn’t have to feel the stinging loneliness and depression anymore. The tears have stopped, and all you feel is numb. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>However, as you walk past Spaghetti’s enclosure, you see her little head poking out of one of her hides, her tongue lazily flicking. In a sudden surge of panic and clear thought, you drop the pill bottle and once again, fall to your knees. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>What had you almost done?? You almost left Spaghetti, almost gave everything up, and for what? Another asshole who decided you were awful for no good reason? You grit your teeth, and kick the bottle under your bed. You run over to Spaghetti’s enclosure, unlock it, and scoop her up. You know she doesn’t understand, but you can’t help but hug her close as you sob. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I almost left you here. All by yourself, with no one to help. I would have been as bad as them” Them, referencing the people in your past. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I’ll never leave you. Never ever.” You spend the next twenty minutes crying, holding on to the patient snake. You had almost gone off the edge. Finally, after calming down, you decide it would be a good idea to give Toriel a call. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>______________________________________</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>It takes a while for Stretch to arrive at Toriels, he had used nearly all of his magic with all the teleporting and had to walk most of the way back to the apartment complex. The whole time he was walking, he was reciting what he wanted to tell her in his head. He repeats it again. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>‘I know you know that ___ is a mage, but she has bad intentions. She is tricking us into liking her, I felt the pull in my soul myself. She’s wormed her way into our group, and took the position of ambassador. She’s planning something big, I just know it.’ </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>He nods, and brings his hand up to knock on Toriel's door. The door swings open, Toriel with a worried smile on her face. However, once she sees who it is, that face changes to absolute fury. She grabs Stretch by his jacket, pulls him in and slams the door shut. She crosses her arms after practically tossing him into the livingroom, looks at him with a look that could kill, and demands</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“What. Did. You. Do??” </span></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Quick note, if it seems reader is a bit out of character here, its because she acts outwardly happy. I have hinted in past chapters about the depression, but she hides it well behind her smile and need to take care of others.<br/>So basically. Pets are the best, and here comes Mama bear Toriel o.o</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Regret</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Stretch gets put in his place</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WOW! Sorry for the really long wait on this. I am.. not good at writing confrontation so I re wrote this chapter a million times. I'm still not happy with it. But its here and done and I am sorry about the wait!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Stretch could feel his sins crawling down his back as Toriel marched towards him, a look of pure fury in her eyes. </span>
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  <span>“How </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare </span>
  </em>
  <span>you accuse her of such animosity! She has done nothing but help us, what do you have to say for yourself???”</span>
  <span><br/>
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  <span>“tori please, you dont understand! she’s a mage, she’s messing with..”</span>
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  <span>“I know she is a mage! I was the first that she told. Currently the only thing she is able to do is form weapons out of water, what makes you think she can or will do anything to harm us?”</span>
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</span>
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  <span>“no, she’s doing more than that! she is forcing us to enjoy her company, she has to be planning something. she is messing with our souls, when i first met her and every time i see her theres a tug on my soul, as if an outside force is trying to get me to follow it. and its only her! she must have known she was a mage and came into the camp to get on good terms with us. its a plot to exterminate us or put us back under the mountain, im sure of it.” </span>
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  <span>Toriel stops completely in her tracks at this. Stretch feels relief, she must be considering his words. He watches her think for a few moments, and tilts his head in confusion when she places her face in her paws. </span>
  <span><br/>
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  <span>“Stretch. I did not want you to find out this way, I wanted you to figure it out on your own. For things to proceed naturally. But I have no choice but to tell you now.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Tell him what? This just confuses him further, it’s like she’s getting off topic. </span>
  <span><br/>
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  <span>“what do you mean?”</span>
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  <span>A sigh escapes Toriel and she drops her paws.</span>
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  <span>“That is not how magic works. Even in human mages, they can not directly mess with the feelings of a soul. No magic can. The most that can be done is gravity magic, making one feel heavier or be unable to move. Emotions cannot be tampered with, even for the strongest of monsters or mages.” </span>
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  <span>Stretch’s jaw hangs open at the news. If it’s not the magic doing that, then what is? </span>
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  <span>“okay, then why does my soul tug around her? i dont understand.” He shakes his head while saying this. </span>
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  <span>Another sigh from Toriel. </span>
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  <span>“It is, technically, a very old magic. But!” She continues as Stretch tries to open his mouth to speak. </span>
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  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“It is not directly from her, or you. The tugging towards her, it means she is your soulmate. I did not want to tell you this, as I wanted you two to figure it out on your own. However, because of your mis-step, it seems I have to. It is an old, forgotten magic that only affects a very small amount of people and monsters. It means your souls are harmonic, they fit perfectly together. It does not have to be in a romantic sense, many soul mates do not feel that way about each other and remain as friends and platonic companions. Like I said earlier, magic can not affect actual feelings. The tugging is merely your soul searching for the one person who works perfectly with you.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Stretch sits down on the couch roughly at the news. Soul mates? His first thought is to why it has only happened in this timeline. Why did it not affect him in the others? He wishes he had someone with the knowledge as to why it hasn’t happened before. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“so... shes not out to get us. are you sure? i mean, you said it is an old, forgotten magic, right? how can you be so sure about it?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>A forlorn, yet nostalgic look forms on her face at this. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Asgore and I are soul mates. It is why we worked so well together as King and Queen. I sensed that same magic when you and ____ met eyes for the first time. I knew it right away, that ancient magic feels like no other, which is another reason not many can register it when it happens. Many ancient human kings and queens were soulmates, and were betrothed to each other by the parents because they would rule well together.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>A breath of air escapes Stretch, and turns into a slight wheezing sound. He takes his skull into his hands, and says through his fingers. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“oh stars i fucked up.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Toriel crosses her arms and nods. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Yes, you did. Had she not called me you could have ruined not only her relationship with monsters, but possibly our chances at a peaceful integration with the humans. She is an ambassador for us now, you cannot just say whatever you want willy nilly, especially without proper evidence. Now, I suggest you go to her immediately and apologize.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Stretch knows that wasn’t actually a suggestion, that was an order from the Queen to her Judge. He nods at the queen, and immediately shortcuts back outside your house. He paces for more than a few minutes, trying to decide what to say. “Hey sorry for accusing you of shit” just wasn’t gonna cut it. He sighs, dragging his bony hand down his face. He approaches the door to knock. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>_____________________</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>It had been an emotional rollercoaster of a day. You were forever grateful that Toriel had accepted your phone call, and not only that, talked you down from your panic. You’re forever grateful to her for being so kind and understanding. Currently, you’re deciding on if you want to eat or not, the risk of food coming back up due to anxiety is high right now, and you really don’t want to deal with that on top of everything else. The second you decide to make some tea instead, you hear a knock at your door. You aren’t expecting any company, so you’re cautious when approaching the door. Looking through the peephole, you are both surprised and upset to see Stretch standing there, looking incredibly nervous.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Rolling your eyes, you don’t even open the door and just say “What?”. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>A sigh through the door. “hey. uh, can i come in and talk?” You roll your eyes again, what does he want now? </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“I’d much prefer not to, thanks.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>A slight growl comes from behind the door this time. “come on, dont be stubborn. i just want to talk.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You’re attempting not to show your anger, or your hurt. Less than 12 hours ago he was screaming at you to leave him and everyone else alone, for basically no reason other than, what you can assume, is that you’re a mage. It’s blatantly discriminatory, and while you can appreciate he wants to protect his friends and family, he at the very least could have talked to you like a person and not a threat! Even so, you thought you knew him well enough that he wouldn’t react like that in the first place. He should know you’re not out to get anyone. Your patience is running out. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Look Stretch. I am not in the mood. You threatened me with no reason, barged into my house and yelled at me for something I didn’t even do. It.. if I’m being honest, it hurt. A lot. I just need some space to think.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“there was a reason! if you’d just let me in i could explain!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Patience gone. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“No! I don’t want to see you, I don’t want to talk to you, and frankly at this point I don’t know if I ever want to talk to you again! You’re only going to see me when I am visiting anyone else. I’ll be polite to you, and that is all. You hurt me, Stretch.. Papyrus. You can’t just expect there to be no consequences. Goodbye.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>And with that, you click the extra lock on your door and walk into your bedroom. You’re seething with anger, hurt, frustration. He thinks he can just threaten you and then immediately be fine again? That is not how things work. You hear him saying things through the door but ignore them. You wish you could text Laura and tell her everything, but until Toriel gives the word you won’t be sharing your mage status with any humans. Which sucks. You flop onto the bed, and decide to text Alphys. Her unbreakable spirit could really be of help right now.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You: </span>
  <b>Hey Alphys! I hope you’re not busy. Was wondering if you wanted to come over for a bit, maybe meet Spaghetti and watch some anime?</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <span>The sounds of talking behind the front door finally stop, and you relax with a sigh. You’ll deal with him later. Right now you need some time to unwind and forget about your anxieties. Your phone dings, and you lift it to check the text. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Beefy Armadillo: </span>
  <b>HELL yes! I’ll be right over, be ready for a goddamn fun time!</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <span>You laugh and reply with a simple “Okie dokie!” and start to pick the house up a bit. While you’re not hungry, you figure Alphy’s might be and start on some popcorn. You also get the play dough out in case Alphy’s wants to help you make some more hats for Spaghetti. While it seems like it's a nice, bright day outside, you’d prefer to stay indoors. You hoped Alphys would agree to that today. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Not ten minutes later, a loud banging sounded on your door. You hear a loud “HEY PUNK! Let me in!” This of course makes you laugh, and you make your way to the door. You unlock the top lock, the bottom on, and the door bursts open. Alphys picks you up so high you think she might suplex you, but she ends up plopping you right back on the floor with a hearty slap to the back. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Are you ready for a girls day??” She smiles her huge, raptor-like teeth at you. You try and match her smile and energy, not quite making it. “Of course I am!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She tilts her head at you, and glances at your chest. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Uh, hey punk, you okay? Your soul glow is a bit.. Dim. WHO DO I HAVE TO BEAT UP??” You smile at her protectiveness. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Before I tell you, I have to tell you something that pertains to it. Um.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You go ahead and spend the next twenty minutes explaining your magic to her, telling her its how you saved the monster child the other day, and pulled out your water whip to show her. Of course, she is elated. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“This is so badass! Now we can spar, I can train you up so you’re not a wimp anymore!” She cackles and attempts to pick you back up, but you motion with your hands to stop. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Wait, that’s just the first part of what happened. I didn’t realize my soul was dim but I guess it makes sense. So the thing is..” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Another long winded explanation. You tell her how Stretch had essentially barged in, accused you of awful things because you told him you’re a mage, and then told you to keep away from monsters. How you had called Toriel in a panic and she talked you down. You left out the part about the pills, you don’t want to make her worry.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“And then! Not twelve hours after this, he comes knocking on my door today trying to ‘talk’. He really thinks I’d be just hunky dory to talk to him! I sent him on his way, there’s no way I was going to deal with his shit again.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Alphy’s mouth is dropped open in surprise. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Damn, I knew he was protective but I’d never thought he would do something like that! I mean, he’s young but still”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You can’t help it, as mad as you are at him you have to ask. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“So wait, how old is he?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She snorts. “He’s younger than all of us. Skeletons lives are shorter than most monsters, but he’s about.. 125 I think? That would make him probably 19 or 20 in human time I think.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>It’s your turn to be surprised. He’s young! You’re 23, so technically he is ‘older’ in time but younger in maturity. This has you curious about everyone. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“What about Blue?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“That nerd is 160, so 21 or 22 in human time.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>You shake your head </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Wait, so Blue is the older brother???” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She nods, laughing heartily at your surprise. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Yup! You wouldn’t think that with their personality differences but it’s true!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Color you surprised. You scratch the back of your head, and gesture to the couch. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Well! Let’s get some anime watching time in, I’ve been really interested in this new one about skateboarders and wanted to start it with you.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>_____________________________________</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Stretch didn’t know whether to be pissed off, or sad. He made a huge mistake, he pissed off and hurt his soulmate. The worst part is, now that he knew of the magical connection they had he couldn’t stop thinking about it! Your smile, your laugh, your smarts, your ability to pun with the best of them. He sighs and runs his hand over his skull, how could he get you to talk to him? If he could just explain, he’s sure you’d understand.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He returned to his apartment, teleporting straight into the livingroom. He was about to call out for Blue for some advice, when he glanced at the couch. Blue and Laura were both sitting there. Blue’s face was, well, blue, and Laura was very pointedly at the other side of the couch, her face very red. Narrowing his eyes at the two, he asks </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“what you guys up to?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>It was less of a question, and more of an accusation. They both had very guilty and embarrassed looks on their faces, and Stretch is pretty sure he knows what’s going on. Blue spoke up first. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“WELL BROTHER, UH. WE WERE JUST. TALKING! ABOUT THINGS!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Stretch can’t deal with this right now. His brother has never shown an interest in anyone ever (well, other than Nabstaton, however that was just a celebrity crush) and Stretch has no clue how he wants to deal with this. Blue is an adult, however Stretch is very protective of his innocent brother, whether he was older or not. At this point, he wasn’t sure if he was more angry or surprised. He just shakes his head in exasperation. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“alright. okay. this is fine. laura, you mind giving blue and i some privacy to talk for a few minutes?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>She looks even more nervous than before, but nods her head. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“I’ll just uh. Go see what Toriel is doing! Talk for a few minutes. Yeah.” She quickly runs out of the apartment, and over to Toriels. Stretch would laugh were he not in such a serious mood. He sighs and addresses Blue. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“i would ask more about… whatever that was. but i need your help bro.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The blue blush recedes from Blue’s face, and he puffs out his chest. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“OF COURSE! THE MAGNIFICENT BLUE IS ALWAYS HERE TO HELP HIS BROTHER!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>A fond look overtakes Stretch’s face. “youre so cool bro.” Blue beams with pride. “SO WHAT IS IT YOU NEED HELP WITH?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Stretch explains exactly what happened between you and him, the talk with Toriel, and then the resulting trip to your house. Blue listens along with rapt attention, looking at his brother with frustration at him yelling at you, perking up and blushing about the soulmate part, and being understandably sad looking about the resulting through the door conversation between the two of you. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“WELL, I BELIEVE SHE JUST NEEDS TIME. SHE IS A GOOD PERSON, AND I DON’T BELIEVE SHE WOULD END A FRIENDSHIP OVER A FIGHT. GIVE HER A WHILE, I AM CONFIDENT IF YOU APPROACH HER WHEN SHE IS COOLED DOWN SHE WILL GIVE YOU THE TIME OF DAY. HOWEVER, I MUST SAY I AM DISAPPOINTED IN YOU FOR APPROACHING HER SO… AGGRESSIVELY.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He gives Stretch a very stern look, and Stretch has the decency to at least look guilty, before continuing. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“HOWEVER, I AM CURIOUS ABOUT THE SOUL MATE PART. WHAT IS IT LIKE? KNOWING SHE IS.. FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, COMPATIBLE WITH YOU ON A SOUL LEVEL?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Stretch looks at his brother, he didn’t think he would take an interest in that part of the story. Though, how he found Blue and Laura earlier might explain his curiosity. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“if im being honest, at first i was confused about the tugging on my soul. i felt it right when we left the mountain, and more strongly when i first spoke to her. but it.. is kind of nice to know. tori said it didnt have to be romantic, and i am glad to not feel like i </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be with her, ya know? makes the way her and i interact seem like its more genuine. i dont know if i feel for her romantically or not. i…” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He strays off after that, looking at Blue’s very sly expression. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“OH, ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT BROTHER? YOU SEEM TO BE STEPPING IT UP WITH THE PET NAMES FOR HER. MAY I REMIND YOU ABOUT YOUR VERY BRASH COMPLIMENT TO HER AT THE DINNER GATHERING?” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Blue’s smile grows the whole time he is talking. Stretch is sure his face is entirely orange right now, especially thinking about later that night, when he had tried to.. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Relieve some tension, </span>
  </em>
  <span>to the thought of the outfit she wore that night. He clears his throat. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“she just looked nice, thats all. its not like that!” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Blue says nothing, but looks very smug. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“anyways! thanks for the advice blue, but im bone tired. gonna lay down for a nap.” </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>And with that, he teleports to his room, attempting to not think of you romantically. About simple things, how your hand would be warm in his, lending his signature orange jacket to you when it's cold. Domestic things he’d never thought about before. He groans and flops onto his mattress. How long does he have to wait until you’d speak to him again?</span>
  <span></span><br/>
<span><br/>
</span>
  <span>However long it is, it's going to feel like an eternity if these are the thoughts he was going to have the whole time.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>sooooo should I eventually write a spinoff with Laura and Blue? They cute af</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. The Date</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Laura and Blue go on a date, and you learn more about your magic. Toriel and Asriel learn more about you</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Some warnings for this chapter <br/>Mentions of neglect<br/>Mentions of abuse<br/>Mentions of controlling behavior</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A few weeks passed since the ‘incident’ as you liked to call it. You grew ever closer to Toriel and Laura, relying on them to be your rock. You didn’t like to show it but your fight with Stretch had affected you quite dramatically. However, both Toriel and Laura could tell and were doing everything in their power to help you out. It’s about 5PM, and currently, you were helping Laura get ready for a date with Blue. Over the last few weeks you’d noticed the two had gotten very blushy and cute around each other, and you were incredibly happy for them. Blue had finally gained up the confidence to ask her on a date and she, of course, said yes. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Do you think this is too much?” Laura twirled in her little black dress, it was a solid black with a very low back, the entire dress was covered in holo glitter, giving her a very shimmery, fiery look. She wore purple earrings to match her purple dyed hair, and had a heart shape shaved into the shaved half of her head. The long part of her hair was fluffed up and teased a bit, giving it a very full look. She was fidgeting with her hands and shifting from foot to foot. You smiled at her. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Hey, everything is going to be okay. Blue likes you a lot, we can all tell. You’re gonna have a great time, lots of laughs, and at the end of the night you’re gonna smooch a skeleton” You say the last part with a wink. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She laughs and pushes you playfully. “Shut up!” You were her ride over to the boys place, you’d agreed to take her there and hang out with Toriel for a little bit while the two went on their date. They decided to walk everywhere, since Blue enjoyed the exercise and Laura didn’t mind it. She finished getting ready, and you both got into the car to head over. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>On the ride, Laura makes conversation. “So, how’re you holding up?” She tilts her head as she asks this. You sigh. “It still hurts dude. I’m still pretty mad, especially how he just immediately showed up again after, expecting us to be fine.” She nods.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“That’s understandable. Just want to make sure you’re doing okay, we worry about you.” This makes you smile. This is the longest time you’ve ever held on to a set of friends, and you’re slowly accepting the fact that they may be here to stay. You still had your insecurities of course, and the fight with Stretch didn’t help that but… You’re slowly beginning to let yourself get used to them, and their support. It’s not easy, but you’re trying. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Thank you. You guys are really too sweet to me, I’ll be alright.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She nods with a grin. “Good.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The rest of the car ride is comfortably quiet, and soon you arrive at the complex. You’d seen Stretch once or twice since the fight, and it was always tense. For comfort, you hook your arm into Lauras and she giggles, “What, are you my parent escorting me to my first date?” You laugh and pull her along. “Why yes young lady! I will be sure to set this young man straight and make sure he is good to my daughter.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The playfulness sends you into another fit of giggles. It felt so nice to be goofy with someone like this. She knocks on the door and it swings open almost immediately, Blue being the culprit. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“WHY HELLO HUMAN! THANK YOU FOR ESCORTING LAURA HERE.” You giggle a bit at his unknowing add-on to the joke. He turns to look at Laura and turns very blue. “OH. YOU LOOK VERY NICE THIS EVENING LAURA!”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span> She blushes back as well. “You clean up nice too, Blue.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>He’s wearing a very snazzy gray suit with a blue tie that matches his magic’s color. A white rose pinned to the breast of the suit. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“WHY THANK YOU!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Your arm still hooked around Laura’s, you playfully block him from grabbing her hand. “Now young man, I trust you will treat my daughter well, and have her home no later than 11! Do you understand?” You wink at him, pulling him into the joke, while Laura giggles more behind you. He looks confused for a split second, and his grin gets ever wider. He bows with a flourish of his arms. “OF COURSE! YOUR DAUGHTER IS VERY PRECIOUS AND WILL BE TREATED AS SUCH.” The giggles behind you stop as Laura’s blush gets even more red. You and Blue both laugh at her expression and you let go of her. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>During the commotion Stretch appears behind Blue, appraising you and Laura with a skeptical eye. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“youll treat my bro well, wont ya?” he directs at Laura. She nods seriously. Something shoots between them as Laura glances at you, then back at Stretch. You didn’t notice. Stretch looks nervous and looks at you. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“uh. hey.” he gives you a little wave. You nod once back at him, “Hello, Stretch.” And that’s all you offer. You miss his disappointed look, and the look Laura gives him after. You sigh and nod at the couple. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Alright, you two have fun! I’ll be over at Toriel's house, just knock once you’re back and I’ll take you back home.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You say your goodbyes and head next door. You knock on the door to the shave-and-a-haircut beat, and wait. You hear a knock back on the other side of the door, two knocks to match the “two bits!” part. Both you and Toriel are giggling when she opens the door and pulls you into a hug. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“It’s so good to see you my dear! How’ve you been?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You squish yourself further into her incredibly soft fur. You’ve basically adopted her as a mom at this point and you’re not afraid to show affection, especially after she was the one who talked you down. She is still the only one to know about what you had almost done that night. You sigh.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’m doing better, I think. I’ve been practicing my magic more with Alphys, too!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Toriel pulls you back from her to look you in the eyes. “Oh that is wonderful! Care to show me?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You nod, and like you practiced, pulled out your water whip. Toriel summons a plethora of fireballs, letting them float about the room. You concentrate on how fast each one is moving, and in what direction. You start with the closest one, while you know Toriel's fire magic wouldn’t hurt you, Alphys had taught you to take out the closest threat first. Throwing your hand back, you bring the whip forwards to hit the fireball. It poofs out of sight with a small hint of smoke. Turning your head to the next, you reel back and whip it once again. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You miss a few, but by the end all the fireballs have been put out. You’re panting and sweating by this time, and without thinking, you bring your magic water up to your face and chest to cool it a little bit. Man, even though it wasn't a dangerous fire it was still hot. That with all of your whipping about made you overheat quite a bit. You could really use an ice pack about now. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Before you can ask Toriel for one, you hear a </span>
  <em>
    <span>crrrk </span>
  </em>
  <span>noise, and you’re suddenly cooled down starting at your chest. You jump and glance down, and see a few floating orbs of ice, pressed against your chest. Concentrating on them, you realize they are </span>
  <em>
    <span>yours.</span>
  </em>
  <span> You glance up at Toriel with scared eyes, though calm down when you see her elated expression. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Oh! Your magic has leveled up dear! This is wonderful!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You tilt your head at the wording. “Wait. Leveled up? What does that mean?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She gestures at  your chest, where the ice is gently settled to cool you down. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You have practiced your magic enough that you can now control the temperature of it! Human mages work similarly to elemental users, in the fact that they can only use a single element. However, unlike monsters who are elemental users, they can drastically change the temperature of the magic as they use it. For example, I can summon a fire that will not hurt you, or will hurt you, depending on my intent. However it is technically all the same temperature, the difference is the one without the intent to harm will disperse before it hurts you, fire with intent to harm it will continue to burn. Human mages can make their element, fire still being the example, as hot or cold as they want. Cooler temperature fires can be used to cauterize injuries on other humans. Hotter temperature fires will. Well, lets just say it leaves nothing behind to find when used maliciously.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You shake your head at the information. “Okay so. I can only ever use water, but I can control the temperature.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yes, precisely.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Hmm. Okay. Alright, set up some more fireballs, I want to try something.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She does so, and you summon your water whip. However, instead of whipping at the fire right away, you think of the icicles that form on houses during the winter snows. You think of the feel of it, smooth, cold, water but solid. You send that intent to your whip, and it wibbles a bit, and then swings up into a small, sharp icicle. Grinning, you watch the moving fireballs. You swing out with the ice at the closest one, taking it out. The next is further away, so you aim the icicle at it, and throw. You miss, by a longshot. A bit frustrating, but it gives you an idea. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Toriel, now that my magic is uh. Leveled up?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She nods.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Can I summon it further away from me and make it float, like you do with your fire?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>A proud look overcomes her face. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yes indeed! Excellent work. You are an intelligent young lady. I know you can figure out how easily.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>An ecstatic grin appears on your face, and you raise your hand a bit how Toriel does when summoning fire. You think about multiple of the weapons you just made, and three appear on each side of you, floating for a second, and then flopping to the ground. You groan, and try to will them back into the air. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Up, go up! You flex your fingers at the icicles, and they shoot straight up, directly at the ceiling. They’re about to imbed themselves within the surface of the ceiling, when a sheet of fire appears in front of them and melts them before they can. Toriel titters. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You’re getting there dearest, keep trying.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Taking a deep breath, you wipe the sweat off of your forehead and try again. Lift hand, summon ice, and you try to think of something to lift them other than thinking just ‘up’. Float? Hover? Hover is a good word. You will them to hover next to you, sharp ends pointing outwards. Your magic feels different summoning them like this, it still comes from the center of your chest but instead of a flow of magic coming to your hand, spurts of magic kind of shoot out quickly and appear as the icicles. It’s interesting, to say the least. Another deep breath, and you concentrate on moving just one. You will it to hit the target, the closest fireball. It shoots forwards with force, hitting the fireball direct center and poofing it out of existence. The icicle melts directly after. Toriel claps. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Yes, yes! Excellent work. It is quite amazing how quickly you are picking this up. Now, try doing more than one at once. Will each individual one to its own fireball, but wait until the end to will them forwards.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You nod. You concentrate on them one at a time, giving them their own target. Counting down in your head from 3, you reach 1 and will them to their targets all at once. They each hit their mark, taking out all of the remaining fireballs. You smile, pulling your magic back into yourself, but are suddenly hit with the sense of vertigo. You fall to your knees and you hear Toriel call your name. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Goodness, are you alright? Maybe moving multiple at once was just a bit too much, I apologize. Come, let's have some golden flower tea, that should fix you right up.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You spend your next few hours with Toriel, drinking tea and just chatting. It hits 10PM, and the door swings open to reveal Asriel. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Hey Ma! Hey ___!” You wave as Toriel rises to give him a big hug. Deciding to be the embarrassing sister-figure, you squeeze him into a hug, give him an obnoxious kiss on the cheek, and fluff up his hair. He laughs as he pushes you away, and huffs. “Stoooooop my hair was so nice! You fluffed it!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>This makes you snort, you’ve gotten really attached to the teen as of late. Kind of like a sibling. “Aww but Azzy, I think your hair looks cute fluffed like that! Don’t you agree Toriel?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>She’s hiding her giggles behind her hand at your antics. “Why yes, I do believe that look is quite becoming of you.” This makes all three of you laugh. You’re so grateful you’ve found these monsters, for the pull that compelled you to go to the camp all those months ago. You’ve essentially gained the supportive family you never had. You’d noticed lately you were so much more comfortable in your own skin, being playful and odd without fearing judgement. With these thoughts, you pull both of them into a sudden hug, squeezing them tight. Your attempt to keep your happy tears at bay starts to fail. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Both Toriel and Asriel hug you back, Toriel rubbing your back soothingly. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Oh dear, what is the matter? What is on your mind, child?” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Sniffling, you think for a moment. Do you really want to open up about this right now? Do you really want to unload on them? Sighing, you straighten up. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Toriel.. Can I.. Tell you about my childhood?” She places her paw on your arm, rubbing it gently.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Of course dear, I am here for you.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Nodding, you take a moment to gather your thoughts. You always feel your issues were so.. Miniscule, compared to other people. You had recently read something that reminded you, trauma is trauma. No matter the cause, if it affects you badly for years after, it still counts. You let a breath of air out of your nose. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Okay. So, I had what you would call a spoiled childhood. Well, half way spoiled at least. My parents are divorced, have been since I was five or six. That didn’t affect me much. My dad had a lot of money, my mom had practically nothing. Until the time I was 17 or so, my mother was.. Mentally absent. Physically she was there, but we probably said two words to each other each week. That wasn’t her fault, she has pretty bad depression, but as a kid that stung. The worst part was even with all of the money that my father had at the time, he refused to pay child support. When at my moms, I didn’t eat, because there was no food in the house. She didn’t notice. That means I would be extra hungry when at my fathers house. I would try and sneak snacks while he wasn’t looking. However, he didn’t know or didn’t care that I hadn’t eaten in a few days, because he would yell at me. Telling me I would get fat and ugly if I ate too much. I resorted to staying up late and sneaking food out of the fridge. He noticed that. Bought a lock and chain for the fridge and cabinets. Said I would make him look bad if I got fat.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>At this point, you had tears streaming down your face. Toriel pulled you into a side hug. You didn’t mind.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“It was after that that I discovered the log. I had been searching his bedroom for quarters, desperate to sneak out and buy something to eat from the corner store. I found a notebook. It logged </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span> I did. The exact time and date I would do something, whether it be go to my moms house, or use the restroom. He recorded each of my meals, how many calories they were. I didn’t know what to think about that at the time. He wouldn’t show any outward affection, instead would spoil me with toys and books. At the time, I thought I was the luckiest kid in the world to have so much. But when I started to be allowed to leave and actually go meet people, I saw their family dynamics. How families would bicker, but still love each other. Support each other, the kids would get physical affection from their parents, and emotional support. Any time I’d tell my dad something was upsetting to me, all I would get is a “suck it up”. I’d stopped trying with my mom, as she rarely had a response. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>All I wanted was to feel as if my parents cared about me. But any time I would try and talk about anything I was interested in, the conversation would turn around on me about my college plans, what I wanted to be when I grew up, pushed into being a doctor or lawyer or something of status. When I told my dad I wanted to be a veterinarian assistant.. That’s when the hitting started.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Both Toriel and Asriel gasped at this, the former covering her mouth. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Oh no, oh dear.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You laughed bitterly and nodded your head. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“My dad had obviously had practice in abuse. Only hit in places that wouldn’t show. My ribs, my thighs. The back of my head where I had the most hair. It was always when I mentioned doing anything but what he wanted me to do. It was obvious to me by then why my mother had such terrible depression. He told me, no one would ever care for me if I wasn't worth something. If I didn't have status. I started to believe him. It showed in my ‘friends’ actions. Popularity in grade school was a big thing. I was ridiculed for my looks, left by people who didn’t think I had enough status. This went on for years, with seemingly no escape. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Then, I met a boy online. He was sweet, at the time. His name was Billy. Messaged me constantly on the laptop I took from my mom. I was seventeen at the time, and was so starved for love that I thought I was in love with him. Turned out, he only lived a few hours away. So, we planned to get me out of there. We planned for months, each saving up money. I never thought to ask his age. The weekend finally came, and I told my father I was going to fill his car up with gas. I was used to doing him favors, and so he wasn’t suspicious. Instead of taking his car all the way to the gas station, I took it just around the block and parked. Billy showed up not 5 minutes later, and we left in his car. I never looked back. I left everything at the house, minus the laptop since no one knew about it. I left my cellphone, anything that could have been used to track me. We left to Ebott. I found out he was 25, but didn’t care. I thought I loved him, and that he loved me.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>We were happy for a year or two. He treated me.. Better than my father did. I thought that was enough. I did everything I could to keep him happy, I was a doormat. I.. I let him do whatever he wanted to me, whether I was ready for it or not. I thought, well he doesn’t hit me, so he must love me. Heh, what a bad outlook I had. I should have seen the signs. He started to accuse me of betraying him any time I went out. Accused me of.. Of being malicious, cheating on him, trying to get people to hate him. I still had no friends, to try and keep him happy and from accusing me of things. One day, he came home with someone else on his arm. She was gorgeous, big curvy hips, beautiful doe eyes, everything I wasn’t. He kicked me out, right then and there. Said he was bored of me, that I wasn’t feisty enough. I was lucky I had a job at the time, and managed to get my own apartment after that. And. Yeah. That’s about it. You guys are.. Like a family to me. Better than my own family had ever been to me.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Toriel can’t handle it anymore, and cries out, pulling you deeper into her hold. You can feel Asriel on the other side, squeezing you just as tight. You can feel heat and tears off of each of their faces.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Oh my dear child, how awful! How could any parents be so cruel to their child. I do not understand. Do not worry my dear, we are here for you. We will always be here for you. You are part of our family now, we love you dearly.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Asriel nods as his mother speaks. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You’re like a big sister, you’re always here for us and keeping us smiling. I am grateful to have you in my life.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>This has you absolutely bawling into their arms, you’d never told anyone this. After Billy, you hadn’t had any friends. You had no idea how to connect with people. But these amazing people, these monsters, made of love and compassion and hope, saw past that. Helped you make connections. They made your life so much better. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>A few more minutes of sniffling, and you all finally pull away from each other. Toriel wipes her eyes. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Well, today has been quite eventful. Thank you for opening up to us dear.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You smile at her and put your hand on her paw. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Thank you for listening.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You grab your phone out, and check the time. Even if you were joking around about having Laura back at 11, it was agreed upon that that would be the time she came back for a ride home. Currently, it was 11:20. Not too much later, Blue and Laura are both adults and you figure the date just went on longer than planned. Asriel yawns and stretches his arms up. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Well, I think I’m going to bed. Gnight!” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You laugh at his semi awkwardness. You related, you didn’t quite know how to end the conversation either, so you didn’t blame him. Opening your mouth to speak to Toriel, a few frantic knocks sounded at the door. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Oh, how odd, who could it be this late at night? Excuse me for a moment dear.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You stare at the table as she goes to answer the door. You were mentally drained and emotionally drained. You don’t think you’d ever told anyone that before, and it took its toll on you. All you wanted was to go to bed, but you promised to be Laura’s ride. Zoning out, you thought about your past for the first time in a long time. It was exhausting, but felt good to get it all out in the open with someone. Before your thoughts could go further, you heard frantic talking in the livingroom, and decided to investigate. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“he hasnt texted me since 8, i didnt think anything of it but hes never been late coming home. im just worried tori…” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Stretch was in the livingroom, pacing with his hands on his head. Crossing your arms and jutting out your hip, you look at him. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“What’s going on?” His face whirls around to look at you. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“oh. uh. hey again. im worried about blue, he hasnt messaged back and hes always really good about being on time.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You nod. “I can call Laura. While I don’t want to interrupt their date, I want to make sure they’re okay.” Stretch looks relieved. Before he can thank you, you’ve pulled up your phone and Laura’s contact. Pressing call, you wait for her to answer. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>One ring</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Two</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Three </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>.. you wait until it reaches voice mail, and hang up. You shoot a text. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You: </span>
  <b>Hey! Sorry to be a bother, just wanted to make sure you two are okay? </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
  <span>You wait. And wait. Toriel is trying to keep Stretch calm as an hour passes. He’s tried to call Blue three or four times by now with no answer. Taking a deep breath, you walk up to Toriel. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I think we should go look for them. It’s odd for Laura to not answer me for so long, and just as odd for Blue not to answer Stretch.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>The other two agree with you, and you leave the house with flashlights with Stretch at the head of your group. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“ill call for his soul signal.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You tilt your head to look at Toriel, who explains. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Monsters with a strong familial bond, such as parents to children, siblings, or monsters to their mates, can sense each others souls. We can call out to the other, and if the other soul is in distress, it will call back. If it is not in distress, it will remain quiet. It was useful with the cave ins in the underground if anyone got trapped.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Ooh, that makes sense.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>You can’t think of anything else to say, so you continue forward. Stretch flinches, and you see an orange glow coming out of his eye. </span>
  <span>
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  </span>
  <span>
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  <span>“it called back. hes in danger.” </span>
  <span>
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  </span>
  <span>
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  <span>Stretch broke out into a run, moving the fastest you’d ever seen him. He took all of the twists and turns quick, calling out. </span>
  <span>
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  </span>
  <span>
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  <span>“blue?? bro?? sans???” </span>
  <span>
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  <span>The use of Blue’s real name instead of a nickname shook you. He always either called Blue bro or, well, Blue. </span>
  <span>
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  </span>
  <span>
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  <span>Stretch leads all three of you out into the forest in front of Mt. Ebbott, confusion laces your features. Why would they be in the forest??</span>
  <span>
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  </span>
  <span>
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  <span>He makes a sharp turn, and suddenly you’re at an old abandoned looking cabin. Stretch stops, you can feel his magical energy charging up. </span>
  <span>
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  </span>
  <span>
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  <span>“... hes in there.” He goes to approach the little cabin, but you see something out of the corner of your eye. A shadowy figure is approaching your group, and begins lifting something towards Stretch. You don’t think,  you just ACT. Your water whip is summoned without a thought, it wraps around the figure, pulling it towards you. The water freezes around it, becoming solid and holding them in place. You all point your flashlights towards the figure. </span>
  <span>
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  </span>
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  <span>It’s Chad. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This fic is.. maybe halfway to 2/3s of the way done. I dont have the whole outline done quite yet. <br/>We learn more about reader, and why she can be so insecure about friendships and relationships.<br/>Also.. I really love cliffhangers. LOL</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. The rescue, and a Talk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A ton happens in this chapter.  As always, please keep the warnings in mind!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warnings for this chapter:<br/>Body horror<br/>Drug use</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>“Chad???” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Toriel says it before you can, and Stretch turns to him with the magic still flaring wildly in his eye. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“why did you take my brother?? where is he??” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Chad says nothing. He isn’t even fighting against the magic ice holding him still. He simply stares. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Stretch walks forward angrily, about to grab him by the front of his shirt, when Toriel puts her paw on his shoulder. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Wait. Look at him.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Stretch does so. Chad continues to stare forwards, and as you look closer his eyes seem.. Glossy. Not all there.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“That is.. Odd. Can you keep your magic around him while we go inside?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Thinking for a moment, you nod. “Yeah I can keep him here. Let’s go find them” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You set another string of ice around his ankles and sit him down on the ground. He still says and does nothing, the glossy look staying in his eyes. It’s creeping you out at this point. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>The three of you head inside, you’ve stopped calling their names as not to alert anyone else. It’s a single room cabin, with stairs to a level below. ‘Well that’s not creepy at all’ you think to yourself. You all make your way down the stairs, flashlights at the ready. It’s very dark, as expected. However, you feel like this is a different level of darkness. It feels like.. Solid darkness, instead of just the absence of light. You glance at Stretch, his face is just as tense as you feel. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>He suddenly lurches forward, hopping to the bottom of the staircase and running straight ahead. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Wait! Stretch, it's dangerous!” You shout.  Toriel has begun to match his quick pace, you catching up slowly. He looks over his shoulder quickly at you </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“his soul is calling out, were close!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Picking up the pace, you catch up with them and end up in a hallway. How big is this basement?? There are multiple rooms on each side, however Stretch walks forward, not even glancing at each door and walking to the end of the hall. A dead end. You hear Stretch growl. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“theyve got to be behind this wall. he is right there i can </span><em><span>feel him.”</span></em><span> He puts his hand up on the brick wall, knocking a couple of times in different places. He shakes his head. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“we dont have time to figure out how to open it. stand back.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You’re about to question him about what he means, when you see his eye flair up with orange magic again. The air around you tightens, the feeling of </span><em><span>dark </span></em><span>increasing around you. You feel a presence, something wild and dangerous. The hair on your arms raise and you feel an instinctual panic rising up. He lifts his hand, and suddenly around him are several.. Giant canine skulls? You shake your head, what the hell are those?? They’re a stark white, with black markings running up their snout, and up around their cheek bones. They have sets of horns, which make you think more dragon instead of canine now that you’re looking closely. Stretch’s raised hand absently scratches the chin of the closest one. You hear him whisper. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“just enough to break the wall, guys.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Suddenly his hand clenches into a fist. You hear and feel these creatures powering up, static electricity building up around you as their mandibles detach and open on either side. A bright burst of light, and a sound akin to a sonic boom sounds through the basement. Dust raises up everywhere, however Stretch de-materializes the skulls and runs forward once again. You walk cautiously behind him, and once the dust settles you gasp. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>There’s Blue, and Laura, their date outfits tattered and ripped. They’re tied to chairs, bound, gagged, and blindfolded by.. Something. At first you think it’s black rope, or leather, or maybe tape. However looking closer you can tell it's nothing of the sort. You try and look closer, but all you see is darkness tying them down, as if the shadows themselves had become corporeal. Even shining your light on it, there is no reflection on the surface. Just. Darkness. It reminds you of something, though you’re not sure what. Pulling yourself from your thoughts, you run forward. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Stretch summons a small bone knife, reaching forward to cut them loose. Before he can, the shadow ropes detach themselves, and retreat to the door. While you want to chase them, you are more worried about your friends and let them go. Taking a closer look at Laura, you gasp. She’s got a black eye, split lip, and bruises marring every visible spot on her body. Her gorgeous dress is now stained with drying blood. You reach out for her hand, her eyes are closed and you assume she’s passed out. Stretch is doing the same thing with Blue, who has a crack in his jaw bone, and scratches all over his arms. Toriel steps forward. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I can wake them. Please step back for a moment.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You and Stretch do as she says, and she reaches down to touch each of their hands at once. A quick burst of green, healing magic you’ve learned to recognize, and both of them pop into the waking world. Laura gasping for breath, and Blue… </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You freeze. Blue’s eyelights are out, nothing in his sockets except that solid darkness you keep seeing. His teeth begin to part, his mouth can open?? You don’t get to ponder on it for long, as something begins to drip from his eye sockets and out of his open mouth. More of the darkness, the vanta black you can’t fully comprehend. A static screeching noise escapes his mouth </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Ā̶̡̢̧̨̢̘̜͖̝̲͎͓̩̦̫̮̥͚̰̬̙͍͎̓̀̆͜ͅ.̴̢̨̨̛̪̘̭̘͚̩͈̙̭̺̮̗̣̮̹̳͖̜̣̯̼̲̺̮̺̯̯͎̜͈̞͉̫̩̒̇͋̔̇̇̆̈́̂̓̇̔̏̿͒̆̆̈́̈́̂̂̃̋͝ͅ.̴̧̥̙̞̠̼̞͇̹̙̟̬͉̼̫͍͎͔̰̦̯͚̒̀̓̑̈̊̌͝.̷̡͇̤̜̒͒̒̅̅̋̌̊̂̐̔̌͗͋̎̚̕͝ ̴̧̛̻̣̻͚̥̭̰̪͕̺̮͖̬̩̜̖̦͙͖͉͈͚͔̽̂͐̿͛͗͌͆̅͛̔͋̇͂̒͂̕͘͜H̶̡̢̡̤͉̤̱̺̙͚͖͍̤͉͔͍͖͚̣̻͓̣̮͕̭͍̠̲̥̙̪͌̆̐̈̾̍̔͜ͅȍ̵̧̡͓̮̫̹͙̩̙͎͕̗̝̻̪͎̥͔̙͓̆̐̈́̍͑̎̓̆̅̉̆͊̓̍͋̊͐̒̕͘͜͠͝s̴̢̨̛̛̛̱͙̹̮̩̮̻̫̫͙̩͍̥̘̺̥̮̥͓͇̽͆́̌̽͒̎͒̈̽͗̓͒̿̓̑̈́͋̾͊̉̌͒̒̔̑͆̂̚͘̚̚͘̚͠͠ͅţ̴̢̧̛͔̖̪̳͙̟̲̩̱̣̤͓̪̤̜̥̥̖̹͍̲̫̯̟͚͈̪͖̺̞̹̹͍͔̜̺͖͈̂̄͊̇͒͛̆͗̎̆̌̃̒̒̎̓̽̍̏̀̾͌̔͆̋̏̔̈́͘͝͝.̶̡͇̈́̋̽̃̉͂̇̒͒̂̈̐̆͗̽̀͋̐̍͂͌̆̾̓̒̓̒̈̈́̀̍̽͊̽̈́͘͘̕.̶̡̡̡̢̛̘͇̠̙̝̻̬̹̯͕̬̭̙̩̙̳̺̫͍̙̦̜͍̘́̑̀̔̏͑̂̑̑͌̍̌͒͘͜͜͝.̴̦̱̔̍̀͊͛͋͑̈́͒͛͑̒͊̈́”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>As quickly as it appeared, it removes itself from Blue and follows the shadow path out the broken down wall. Blue’s eyelights come back, and his hand comes up to his head. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“OH. OH OW.” His sockets widen.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“WHAT IS GOING ON? WHERE ARE WE? WHAT.. LAURA??” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>He turns to look at Laura, who while awake, is still in a state of non comprehension. At the call of her name though, she seems to come back to herself. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“What. Where?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You and Stretch spring forward at the same time, him taking Blue gently into his arms and you doing the same with Laura, mindful of her injuries. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Oh my stars are you okay? Laura what happened??” She shakes her head. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I don’t… I don’t know. One minute Blue and I were walking down the sidewalk after our date, and the next. I’m here with you guys. God but my head is killing me.” She groans the last part, holding her head in her hands. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You squeeze her a bit tighter. You hear Stretch speaking to Blue but can’t make out the words. Toriel sighs. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I am just glad we were able to find you two. I am unsure as to what exactly is going on, but let me get you healed up and we can speak with our.. </span><em><span>Friend </span></em><span>outside.” She growls the word friend with more malice than you’ve ever seen or heard from her.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>A few minutes of healing from Toriel, and both Blue and Laura are looking much better. Still a bit banged up, but no longer at risk of concussing. The two of them gravitate to each other, grabbing each other's hands with a gentle, yet worried look. The five of you make your way down the hallway, and back up the stairs. As you exit the door, you feel a pull of your magic. You sprint the rest of the way out and swing around to Chad. He is struggling against the binds, hunched over to where you can’t see his face. Pissed, you reach out with your right hand and add more ice, without thought to your human companion. You stomp forward, grabbing his hair and pulling his face up to look at you, but just as quickly drop it with a scream. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>His eyes are seemingly gone, that same never ending darkness where they should be, dripping out both there and his mouth. He throws his head back with a staticky, animalistic howl. You start to see a shape form within the black, coming out of his mouth. A sticky, gooey black grows forward, forming something akin to an anglerfish face, with.. What looks like a hood over it? Another screech escapes the creature</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>I̵̢̖̮̮̯̞̖̲̣̹͈̠̰̬͍͎̤̻̘̻̮̻̤̣̪̬̫̥̣̳͚̲̳̱̹̝̼̣͗͌̔̈̌̔̿̈̈́͋̑̀͆̍̅̀̽̏̿̉͆͐̉̀̊̓͋̈́̋̽̈́̕̚̚͘͘͠͝͝ͅ ̸̨̛͇͖̭̼͕̞̯̫̜̰̭̰̫̰̦͕͖͍̗̦̻̯͙̽̓͊͗̉͐̓͐̓͗͒̊̏̀͂̾̏̈́͒͐̋̊͋̽̎̇̌͐̉̉́̚̚͜͝n̴̡̡̛̙̹̟̺̮̩̪͎̯͎̙̳̼͚̹̥͈̘̯͍̗͔̞͓̣̙͓͉̤̠̥̳͔͖̝͚̦̼̘̑͌̇͛̎̇͋̔̽̉̃̓̓͒͛̇̇̈́͋͆̓͘ë̸́̌̒̏̎̆͑̚̕͘͜͝͠ȩ̸̨̨̨̨̢̛̻̝̳̣̪̤̲͇̱̹̣̪͚͉̲̳̪̣̝̹͔̓̂̆̽̐̏͐̎̾̎̃̓͗͋͌̀́̒̾̐̽̈́̉̅͌̊́̈͌̔̌̄̕͘͜͝ͅd̷̡̨̡̧̨̧̫̖͙̬̳̪̟̙͓͈̳̹̗̺̤̘̜̫͚̹͈͔̖̮̙̭̅̌̈̃͒͌́̆̋̚͠͠.̵̨͕̯̺̾.̶̢̢̨̧̥̱̮̤̤̤̙͉̰͚͔͉͓̙͇̟̜͙͓̤͉̪̹̼͈̬̬͓̪̯̹̗̒̎̾͑̈̂̌͐̒͌͐̂̓̑͌͑̾̿̾͗͛͋͒̒̅̌͆̔̐̋̎͛̀͘ͅͅ.̷̨̨̨̡̡̺̱̰͎̠̥͖̱̺̖̩̲̥̺̜͖̰͙͔͙̦̫͖̻̗̐̉̎͐̈́̑͜͜͜͝ ̵̢̧̰̺͇̪̗̝͇͐̋̌̅̐͊̋̃̃̈́̾̂̕͝A̸̡̧̛̛̛͓͕̥̲̳̜̹̻̣̹͎̤̩̤̞͕̳̦̤̓̆̑̎̅̓̔͌̓̿̉̽͒͊̔́͊̏͆̍͗̈́̽̃̽̚̕͘͝͠͝ ̷̨̧̛̬̖̮̟͙̳̥̻͈͖̼͉̦̲͚͈̰͙̲͚̙̦̯̻͕̩̫̘̼͊̃̂̇̐̇̄̑̽̂͒̑̽̓̍̽͆̐͐̓̑͛̍̑̃̀̕͘̕͘͝͝ͅh̸̛̥͇͓̲͇͙̙̯͎̟̲̝͕̦̍̉̅̆͒͌̿̇̆̏͊̈́̃̃̈͘̚̕͠͝͝ͅơ̵̧̡̨̰͇̠̠̖̪̤̜͈̺̠̪̩̣̖̗͇̖̝̗̤̼̻͇̫͉̥̰̦̣̝̋̄̈́́̓̑̌̑̎̍͐͑̊̋͌̊͘͝ͅs̷͍̝͍͇̤̒̃̈́̍̌̽̆̌̍͗͋̈́̿̈̊̾̆͂̾̽̽͛͑̐̆̈́̚͜͠͠͝͠͠ţ̶̦̻̠̼͚͉̹̯̬̟͇̥͈͍̮͚̮̍͆͆̋̾̿̈́͆̍̑̐̚͠.̸̢̧̰̳̟̯̬͙̩̙͔͖͉̝̯͖̻̼̞̹̲̦̖̖͎̫̎͆̇̒̀̒̾̂̃͆̊̋̿̎̍͗̉͗̔͒̀̏̓̓͌̌̅̅̇̍͒̑̐͘̕͜͝͝ͅ.̴̧̢̼̫̣͍̰̪͚̯̙͕̫̣̗̮̝͎̱̖̞̭̹͈͙̪͖̫͕̘͔̦̹̯̦̃͛͒̇͆̕͜͜ͅ.̶̡̢̡̛̛̟̠̞͎̲̥̹̮̘̫̤̤͙̞͚̞̮̳̱̲̟̯̭͇̙͚̟̩̙̰̼̭̗̲̰͑̎̏̓͗̏̂̆́̀̑̂͆͛̓̇͑̂͆̔̈́̚̕̕̚̕͜ͅͅ   A̴̧̡̢̡̢͉̙͔͈͚̳̰̟͍̞̜͔̖̮͍̤̥͊̔̊͂́̄̄̅͋͐̓͋̍͑̐͋̈̔͗̓͌̐̕̕͠͝͝ͅ.̷̧̡̢̧̛̙̟͖̦̯̺̰̹̦̺̫͈̗͔͉̦̳̺̻̫͎̲͉̺̻̖͍̼͙̦̼̟̠̣̽͌̈́͜ͅͅ.̷̡̨̛͉̖͙̫̭̜̘̠͖͙̟͖͙͙̟͍̹̼̻͙̗͇̮͔͍̍͂̆̌̎̆͒̀͂̔̓̾́̔͑̅̊̈́̾̕͝͠ͅͅ ̴̹̫͈̺̼̳͕̳͖̯̩̹̟͙̖̈́̌̆̉̌̅̄̒̏̐̏͂͆̔̀̂͗̍̒̌̅̈́͒̇͊̿̇̈́̋̂͘̚̚͠m̴̡̡̡̛̳̘̳̣̩̣͈̫͍̞͉̙̫͈̳̘̟̄̇̉͆̇͊́͑͗͜o̵̢͓̠͇͖̫̲̪̥̐̀̏̊̀̓̄̋̇͑̈̌̚͜͝ņ̷̢̢̛̘̺̥̹̜̞͇̗̳̺̘͙̗̩͎̮̼̞̬͉̘͖̘͍̤̝͈̜̦̟̘͒̄̎̔̏͜͜ͅs̸̨̧̨̨̨̢̡̛̛̛̟̣͈̺͈͍͖̮͉̞̜̯͇̖̘̻͎͖̯̦̟̟̝͈̘̼̫̭͖͚͖͍̠͋̿̈́̂͆̐̍̓̆́͌̓̃̎̅͌̾ͅt̵̨̛̩̙͚̥̙͈̲̼̻̱̤͇͉̠͓̻̦̟͉̦̫͍͕̺̔̄̂̽͆̔̄́̇̃̿̚͠͝e̸̡̛̘̤͎̩̖̞̗̣̬͔̗̼͉̳̠͖͓̤͍͙̦̍̈̏̔̿͂͆̓̎͌̅̿̔̽̾̔͋͗̅̎͆̊̔̊̈̌̚̕̕͜͝͝r̸̢̡̢̪̪̠̝̼̯͔̗͍͚̤̰̗̳̣͎̱͇̪̮̮̮̬͇̗̺̜̜̼̞̞͛͋͑̑͆̓̎̈́͗͜.̶̧̢̡̧̛̙͕̗̝̥̭̜̭͓̪̱͎͇͇̥̪͚̱͎̱̭͎̮̱̱͖͓͚̃̇͊̄̓̾̔̐̈́̉̈͌͋̒̏̈́́̋̑͊̓̒̆̍̄̆̽͊͜͝͠͠ͅ.̸̨̛̱̝͈̞̖͉͓͓͖̪̗̠̭̩͖̝͔͚̹͈̖̩̺̖̠̙͂̈́̽̓͆͑͊͒̀͗͂̇̽̈͂͘͝ͅ</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You’re covering your ears, and trying not to close your eyes, lest you lose sight of him. All at once, the darkness recedes into his body, tendrils flying out his sides and demolishing your ice binds on him. Those recede as well, his body instantly standing up straight. Without moving a muscle, he suddenly seems to just </span><em><span>glide </span></em><span>backwards,</span> <span>at a speed so quick you can’t comprehend, back into the forest. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You hear heavy breathing behind you, and glance to Laura. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“What the fuck. Whathefuckwhatthefuck” Her hands grip her scalp as tears run down her face. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“What the fuck was that thing??” She looks to all of you for an answer, Blue gently rubbing her lower back. All of you are in the same state of shock as she was. That.. Wasn’t human. You shove your palms into your eyes with a groan. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Can we just. Go home and sleep? I would really like some sleep.” Toriel shakes her head. </span><span><br/></span><span>“My dear, I would be more comfortable if you stayed with one of us tonight. You as well, Laura. We do not know what motives this.. Creature had for taking you both. We need to stay together for now until we can figure this out.” You all agree without argument, too tired for anything else. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“ill shortcut us back to our apartment. everyone grab on, it will take just a second.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You forget about your argument with Stretch for the moment, more pressing matters making the fight seem miniscule. Laura grabs his arm, Blue grabs his left hand, Toriel grabs his shirt, and you grab his right hand. A jolt of </span><em><span>something </span></em><span>rushes through you at the contact, but you pay it no mind. Today was weird enough as it is, and you’re just </span><em><span>tired.</span></em><span> All at once, before you can blink, you are in the boys apartment. You all let go of Stretch, and Toriel yawns. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I am headed next door” she glances at you, “You are welcome to stay with me if you like, you as well, Laura.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Laura glances at Blue, who blushes a bit. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“UH. I HAVE A SPARE COT SHE CAN STAY ON.” His eyelights point in her direction. </span><span><br/></span><span>“IF YOU ARE OKAY WITH IT, I’D LIKE TO SET IT UP IN MY ROOM? I’D LIKE TO BE CLOSE TO YOU. FOR SAFETY REASONS, OF COURSE.” A tired smile appears on her face, and she nods. </span><span><br/></span><span>“Very well then.” Toriel nods as well. Laura and Blue say their goodnights, and head upstairs. With a glance and Stretch, you tap on Toriels shoulder. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I’ll be over in a few minutes. I’m gonna talk with Stretch for a while.” She smiles, a warm, motherly smile at you and nods once again. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Alright my child, I will see you soon.” </span><span><br/></span><span>She kisses the top of your head, the first time she’s done that, which causes a warm fuzzy feeling. You’d never had a doting mother. This was nice. You sigh, thinking about what you want to say. After the events of tonight, the grudge you held against Stretch seemed unimportant. You turn to him, and he’s looking at you apprehensively. You’re about to open your mouth to speak, when he beats you to it. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“im sorry.” Your eyes widen in shock. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“im sorry i didnt speak with ya about my worries. im sorry i immediately assumed you were out to get us. I…” you see him look down, narrowing his eye sockets, in deep thought. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“i was impulsive, and brash, and i regret how i acted. i dont expect forgiveness but i just had to get that out there. youre a wonderful friend, both to me and blue and i just, i really regret hurting you.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Your eyes are watering at this point. You weren’t expecting an apology at all, and that was as heartfelt as it gets. He’d even anunciated his words instead of his usual slur and drawl, he must be serious. He looks like he’s about to start talking again, when you rush forward and pull him into a hug. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I forgive you. What you did really hurt, but I’ve had time to think about it. You’re a protective person, Stretch, and while I don’t agree with the reaction you had, I understand where you were coming from. Just. Promise me something.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Stretch grimaces at the word promise, but nods once, wrapping his arms around you. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“alright. Ill bite. whats the promise?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You smile. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Please communicate with me in the future. If you ever have any doubts about what I am doing and my reasoning, please talk to me about it. Okay?”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>He chuckles. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“nyeh, i think I can do that hun.” You spend the next few minutes in his embrace, relishing in the fact that you’ve gained your friend back. He rubs your back gently before pulling back. He’s got a gentle smile on his face. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You both settle on the couch, and Stretch pulls out a dog treat. He lights it and takes a big hit of it, which causes you to wonder how he does so without lungs. You watch the smoke come out of his mouth, swirling orange in the air. He notices you looking, and offers it to you. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“you want some? real good for relaxin the soul.” You tilt your head, and then nod. You’re willing to try anything once. He hands it over to you, and you examine it. It genuinely looks like a generic, bone shaped dog treat, but smoldering at the end. You shrug, and inhale on one side. Immediately you are coughing and hacking, it tastes like you smoked corn on the cob or something! You hand it back to Stretch as he chuckles at you. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“nyeheheh oops, i forgot. This is a magic smoke, a monsters body acts as a filter for all the solid stuff so we can use the magic. guess humans are too solid for it.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>He gets a contemplative look on his face, and turns to you again. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“here, lemme try somethin.” He motions you closer to him, so you scoot closer and lean towards him. “‘lright. ill need you to open your mouth, and take a slow deep breath through it here in a second. got it?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Ooooh, he’s shotgunning it to you. Makes sense, if his body works as a filter. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Okay, got it.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>He starts to lean closer, his eye sockets lidding half way. He takes a huge drag of it, and you open up your mouth. You have to concentrate on keeping your breath from picking up from the proximity of it all. He breaths outwards, and you slowly breathe the orange smoke in. Your body trembles a little bit, sudden thoughts of indirect kisses invading your mind. This time, you can feel the effect immediately. No coughing, just a smooth hit. You taste a hint of honey and oranges, and a blush makes its way on your face thinking of the implications of the taste. Once he’s done exhaling, you close your mouth, holding the smoke in your lungs for a moment, then exhale it out of your nose. He doesn’t pull back from you, retaining the close proximity. You suddenly feel light, floaty, and incredibly relaxed. Your eyes lid halfway as well, looking Stretch directly in his eyelights. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Both of you remain quiet, just staring at each other. The atmosphere isn’t awkward, you assume it's an after effect of the dog treat. He reaches forward and takes a lock of your hair into his hand, gently tugging on it. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“heh. was it as good for you as it was for me?” this cracks the sudden tension in the room, and you push him back with a laugh. </span><span><br/></span><span>“You ass!” He lets out a quiet snort, “cant be what i dont have, dove”, you burst out laughing and at the same time, a blush creeps up your face. So soon with the pet names again? But you soon calm down. “This is nice. I’ve never smoked a dog treat before, obviously. It’s relaxing. I feel really light, ya know?” He nods and relaxes back against the couch. You have a question suddenly. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Is the smoke always orange?” </span><span><br/></span><span>His face suddenly glows a bit with an orange blush, and you feel you already know the answer to that question. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“um. heh. no, it turns the color of the magic of whoever is smokin’ it because its.. got a bit of their magic in it, i guess.” He scratches his chin awkwardly. The statement causes you to blush deeper. </span><span><br/></span><span>“Oh”. Is all you can think of to reply to that. The next few minutes are spent on the couch, relaxing and attempting to gather your thoughts. Eventually, you ask. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Stretch… what do you think that thing was? I’ve never seen anything like it.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>His whole body slumped against the back of the couch even more, and he let out a ‘humph’ sound. He takes another slow drag of the dog treat, and lets it out through his nasal cavity.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“im not sure exactly what it was, but it had void magic attached to it.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Tilting your head in confusion, you ask, </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Void magic?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>He nods. “yeah. void’s the place in between places, sort of a conduit for magic. its what i use for my shortcuts, so im familiar with it.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>All the air in your lungs escapes you, and you look at Stretch again. </span><span><br/></span><span>“Can you huff me some more of that? I think thinking about a place between places is going to break my brain.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“</span><em><span>snrk </span></em><span>yea, sure. c’mere” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>The both of you lean towards each other again, repeating the actions of before. Again, staying close, faces near each other. This time you can hear your heartbeat in your ears, as you stare into his eye lights. They really are quite pretty, now that you’re looking at them up close. His bones are semi-pearlescent, and also very pretty. You also really enjoy his personality, he’s funny, smart, and his puns are up to par with your own. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Leaning back, you glance away before he has the chance to say anything snarky from how long you were staring at him, and you come to a realization. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You’ve got a crush. It’d been so long since someone had stayed long enough for you to even be close friends, let alone develop a crush. You try not to think about it anymore, as there are much more pressing matters at hand. Like, you know, the insane void-creature that tried to yeet itself out of Chad’s mouth. You gasp suddenly. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Oh stars, Chad! He might be an asshole but that thing has control of him. What the hell are we going to do?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Glancing over at Stretch, you realize his hand was reaching for you during your internal debate, and is now frozen in place. He sighs, and brings his hand back to rub over his face. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“we better ask tori ‘bout that, shes the queen so she might know how to properly bring it up to the humans.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You nod. “His absence is going to be noticed at the next meeting, and it’s going to look really suspicious that something.. Magical has taken control of him.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>An annoyed groan comes out of your mouth.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I’m glad Blue and Laura are okay but dammit that thing is still loose out there, and if it’s gone after them once it might go after them again.”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Stretch’s mouth opens to speak, but Blue’s door upstairs suddenly flies open. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“HUMAN! STRETCH! EVEN THOUGH THE EVENTS OF THIS EVENING WERE.. LESS THAN IDEAL, LAURA AND I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU SOMETHING!” </span><span><br/></span><span>He steps aside and lets Laura walk past him. She pulls some of her purple hair behind her right ear shyly, and quietly says</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Well, Blue asked me to be his Datemate.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Blue nods his head with excitement, and you throw an arm up and cheer. She blushes, </span><span><br/></span><span>“And I said yes!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Forgetting about the serious topic you and Stretch had been on, you fly off the couch, up the stairs, and pull Laura into a bone crushing hug. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Oh my stars!!! I am so happy for you, y’all are gonna be so cute together!!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>To keep the mood up, you pick up the playful game you’d been playing with the two earlier. You let go of Laura and look at Blue, shaking your finger playfully at him. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Now, I am disappointed you didn’t ask my permission for this, but you seem like a fine young man. You better treat my daughter with the utmost respect!”</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Laura sputters and guffaws, holding her stomach as the laughter gets to her. You glance at Stretch downstairs, who seems ridiculously confused but also amused. Blue snorts quietly. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“OF COURSE! I DO APOLOGIZE FOR NOT ASKING YOUR PERMISSION, BUT I ACCEPT YOUR BLESSING WITH THE PROMISE TO TREAT HER WELL.” He nods resolutely after speaking, and you reach out for a hand shake, trying your best to hold a serious expression. Blue reaches out and shakes your hand, and Laura’s laughter gets more wild, now including snorts. This sets both you and Blue off, and the whole household is suddenly laughing at the ridiculous situation. It wasn’t funny enough to warrant such laughter, but after the tense end to the night, everyone was glad to have a reason to laugh and smile.</span></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I am awful at keeping fights up both in writing and in person, hopefully it was a satisfying end to it. This fic is officially about half way done! <br/>Kudos make my heart happy, comments give me life &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Realization</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After the debacle with chad and the void creature, all of you are too wound up to sleep.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for how long this chapter took! I felt the need to put in a more fun chapter after having confrontation.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>You sent off a text to Toriel letting her know you would be staying at the brothers house. At first you had denied their request for you to stay over, remembering Tori’s statement of sticking close together. However, the boys told you that she is a boss monster, the strongest boss monster actually, and that she would be able to protect herself and Asriel. You had nearly forgotten she’s the queen of monsters, of course she’d be able to protect herself. </span>
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  <span>All of you were exhausted from the events of the day, and so tried to get to sleep. You got the couch, Laura got a cot in Blue’s bedroom, and of course the boys got their respective beds. An hour or so after ‘bedtime’ however, you could hear hushed whispers from Blue’s room. It was funny hearing Blue’s attempt at whispering, it was like a stage whisper. </span>
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  <span>“Laura.. Are you awake?” </span>
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  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
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  <span>“Can’t sleep either?” </span>
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  <span>“...Yeah.” </span>
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  <span>You didn’t hear what they said after that, because Stretch’s door creaked open. He attempted to sneak past you, thinking you were asleep. Were you in better spirits you would attempt to spook him, but as it was, you were just exhausted. So, you opted to whisper to get his attention. </span>
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  <span>“Hey, Stretch?” </span>
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  <span>He still jumped a little at your words, but then rubbed the back of his skull in embarrassment for it. </span>
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  <span>“oh, hey, didnt know you were still up.” </span>
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  <span>You nod. </span>
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  <span>“Yeah I’m having trouble sleeping. Sounds like Laura and Blue are still up, too.” </span>
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  <span>Stretch stops speaking and tilts his head, listening to the quiet almost-whispers coming from Blue’s room. </span>
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  <span>“welp, if were all awake and talking anyway, might as well get everyone out here.” </span>
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  <span>He goes and knocks on Blue’s door before you can stop him. </span>
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  <span>“hey, were awake out here too, you guys wanna come out and hang?” </span>
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  <span>A couple more whispers from them, and Blue bursts out of his door in his ever energetic way. </span>
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  <span>“OF COURSE! WE CAN EVEN MAKE THIS INTO A PROPER SLEEPOVER!” He skuttles around, grabbing every soft item he can find. You tilt your head in feint amusement watching him, being somewhat envious that he can be so carefree even after a day like today. You’re glad he has energy though, everyone could really use something to lift their spirits. Stretch watches his brother run around with a fond smile on his face.</span>
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  <span>You wonder for a minute what he’s doing, until you see telltale orange magic begin dragging in some chairs and moving the couch in a semi-circle with the chairs. Ooooh, blanket fort! You can’t hold in the squeal of excitement, you’d never made a blanket fort before and some childlike enthusiasm makes its way out of you.</span>
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  <span>The blankets Blue has picked out are all ridiculously soft, and you go to help make a proper nest in the semi circle. Sheets are draped over the top of the chairs, with you and Laura both giggling in giddy excitement. Maybe it’s the stress of what happened, but both of your giggles are semi-manic. </span>
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  <span>The couch cushions float into the fort, using the chairs as support to complete the inner semi circle. You tuck the blankets over the cushions and as more pillows float in, you glance at Stretch. That same fond smile he was giving Blue is now directed at you. You duck and blush, chiding yourself internally for acting like a schoolgirl with her first crush. </span>
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    <span>For star’s sake you’ve literally had sex before, quit acting like this! </span>
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  <span>Within a few minutes, the fort is complete, and all four of you have climbed in. </span>
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  <span>“anyone wanna get hammered?” Stretch raises his brow bone as he asks. You and Laura raise a hand and cheer, it might not be the best idea to get drunk after a scarring experience, but damn it you’re an adult and getting drunk and forgetting your problems sounds nice right now. </span>
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  <span>“I WOULDN’T MIND SOMETHING TO DRINK.” Blue nods and agrees.</span>
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  <span>“If you have wine and some oj, I’d love a mimosa!” You assume he’s volunteering to get the alcohol.</span>
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  <span>Laura’s hand pops back up, “Me too please!” </span>
</p><p><span><br/></span><span>Stretch playfully rolls his eyes at being the ‘bartender’, but doesn’t argue. He stands up, chuckling to himself, and makes his way to the kitchen. For a few moments, no one says anything. You rub your thumb on the soft, very plush blanket underneath you. You start to get lost in your thoughts, attempting to steer them away from the day's events, inwardly humming the ABC’s, some Panic! At the Disco songs, anything to keep your mind from wandering too far. The clinking of dishes in the kitchen snap you out of it, along with Laura clearing her throat. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“So, who’s the one with ice magic? I thought the boys could only make bones, and Toriel does fire?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Your spine stiffens and your eyes widen. Are you allowed to at least tell Laura? A few seconds pass, and when you finally open your mouth to say something, Stretch walks back into the livingroom and shifts his way into the fort. He hands everyone their drinks, and you lift yours high in the air. You have a quick plan to get the attention off of your magic.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“A toast! To a beautiful new couple. May your days be filled with joy!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Laura squeals in embarrassment and Blue throws his head back to laugh. Stretch looks a little uncomfortable, but still lifts his drink to the toast. Everyone takes a good gulp of their drink, and you feel the itch for nicotine. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“You guys mind if I vape in here?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Blue lifts his eyebrow, Stretch shrugs, and Laura crawls forward menacingly. Laura speaks first. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaare.” </span><span><br/></span><span>You giggle and nod, pulling your mod out, but before you can press its button Blue clears his throat. “DO YOU MIND DOING THAT OUTSIDE THE FORT? NICOTINE CAN AGGRAVATE MY MAGIC.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Yeah no worries!” You and Laura exit the fort. You’d been getting better at not vaping at every stressful situation, trying to lower your intake, but Laura was right. Today has been a day.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>As you two leave the fort, you’re unaware of the conversation happening within. Blue had managed to lower his excitable voice to a whisper. </span><span><br/></span><span>“So brother, I see the two of you have made up!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Stretch scratches the back of his skull shyly. “heh. yeah, im grateful shes giving me another chance at being her friend.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Blue’s eyebrow bones waggle suggestively. “Oh, I’m sure you two will be </span><em><span>the best </span></em><span>of friends.” He takes another sip of his drink as he says this, and Stretch chokes on his. Since when had Blue been sassy?? Stretch manages to clear his throat </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“nah, bro its not like that. we just get along well when im not being an asshat.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Blue doesn’t dignify that with a response, merely raising one eyebrow bone. You and Laura come back into the fort while Stretch’s face is still orange from a blush. Laura takes one look at him and giggles, glancing at Blue who winks at her. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Her eyes shifting to Stretch make you glance at him, and he shifts his small eyelights away from you. This causes you to snort in amusement </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Hey there Tangerine, what’s got you all worked up?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Laura and Blue burst into laughter, as Stretch sputters an unintelligible answer. You just shrug and sit back down. Stretch shakes his head to try and rid himself of the blush.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>With no warning, Laura slams her hand down on the blankets. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Alright! Let’s play something! I’ve never really played drinking games so I wanna do one of the stupid ones.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>A huge grin overtakes your face, and you don’t hesitate to suggest Truth or Dare. You and Laura quickly finish off your mimosas, and send Stretch back in the kitchen to make more. (He of course, complains the whole way and ends up coming back with the whole bottle of wine and the whole bottle of orange juice.) </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Clapping her hands together, she speaks up </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Alright! How do we decide who goes first?” You point at Blue, thinking his won’t be embarrassing or otherwise obnoxious. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I vote blue is the first to ask someone truth or dare! Also, we can pick whoever we want to do them.” Everyone nods, and the game begins. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Blue’s hand comes to his chin and he takes a deep thinking pose. Eventually, he points at his brother. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“STRETCH! TRUTH OR DARE?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>With zero hesitation, Stretch replies “dare”. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>A sudden menacing grin overtakes Blue’s face. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I DARE YOU TO SWAP CLOTHES WITH YOUR HUMAN.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You spit out the mimosa you were sipping, wiping your mouth. Blue, what the hell? You’re supposed to be innocent, not conniving! Stretch’s face glows a bright orange, again, as he glances at you. Trying to keep up a chill, calm, collected act, you shrug. “C’mon Laura, I’m headed to the restroom. You and Blue can hand us the others clothes.” She’s cackling as she follows you to the restroom. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You open the door to the restroom, and head in with a sigh. Peeling off your clothes, you decide to leave your undergarments on. Your tiddies will not be free in front of polite company! Laura knocks on the door, and shoves Stretch’s hoodie and sweatpants through the gap. You can hear her giggling wildly to herself as she takes yours from you. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Quickly, you change into the overly large clothing. You have to tighten the sweats a ridiculous amount, and roll up the pant legs as well. The sweater is incredibly baggy on you, the front of it hanging to show a bit of cleavage and some shoulder. Tightening the strings doesn’t do anything to stop it, so you shrug. You decide against rolling the sleeves up, going with a floppy sleeve type of look. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You’re blushing like mad. You shouldn’t be embarrassed from wearing your crush’s clothes, you’re an adult stars dammit, not a highschooler! </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Patting your cheeks, you get ready to head back out there. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You make your way to the fort, where you can hear wild giggling from Blue and Laura, and some quiet “shaddap”’s from Stretch. Taking a deep breath, you make your way back in. You can’t help the bark of laughter seeing Stretch in your clothes. His shins are on full display, along with the bottom portion of his spine. You’d been wearing sweats and a tank top, it's all so small on him that he looks like he’s wearing a training bra and shorts. Stretch’s eyelights reach you, and before he can make a witty retort, he’s cut short.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>His jaw falls open and his blush gets brighter, lighting up the inside of the fort. With how tight your top is on him, you can see the movements of his chest gradually increase in speed. You clear your throat and move some hair behind your ear. Deciding to go the teasing route instead of being outwardly embarrassed, you say </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Jeez Stretch, you look like a pre-teen girl trying on her first training bra!” </span><span><br/></span><span>That gets a laugh out of everyone, and you take your place back on the ground. It's your turn and you take your time thinking of who you want to ask. You decide on Laura because why not. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Alright, Laura! Truth or dare?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>She pretends to think for a second, then shrugs. </span><span><br/></span><span>“How about truth?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You grin. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Did you and Blue smooch on your date??” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Blue’s face lights up in a blue blush, and Laura smacks her hand against her mouth to giggle behind it. Her eyes are lit up in mirth, and she nods her head excitedly. You throw your hands up in the air and cheer. You hear a teasing “eeeeeeeew” from Stretch, so you pick up a pillow and chuck it at his face. He doesn’t bother to dodge, actually he doesn’t even flinch. He lets the pillow smack him square in the face and falls backwards with it. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>One of his hands raises in the air. “oh nooooo i have been defeated by the fluffiest pillow in the world! what ever shall i do!” Suddenly, the pillow glows orange and flies directly at your face. Without time to dodge, it hits you and you let out a muffled “oof”. Stretch lets out that adorable laugh of his and leans back up. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“‘mkay. my turn!” he turns to you. “truth or dare?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Don’t overthink it!.. You definitely overthink it. What if he asks about your family, or past? What if he dares you to admit a crush? Either way it could go badly. You take a deep breath. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Dare.” He gets a triumphant look on his face. </span><span><br/></span><span>“i dare you..” seemingly out of no where he pulls out play dough. “to teach me to make tiny hats for Spaghetti!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Your jaw hits the floor. Oh my stars what a wholesome request!! Laughing, you nod. “But let's wait until after the game so we don’t get distracted?” He beams and sets the play dough to the side. He is way too cute! He reminds you of a golden retriever right now.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“My turn my turn!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Laura seems to think for a minute. She finally turns to Stretch. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Alright Stretch, truth or dare?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“dare.” not a truth kinda guy then? Dang. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I dare you… to tell us if you have a crush on someone!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Ooooh she swung that perfectly. You blush and try not to look like you're paying rapt attention to his answer. You fail. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“eheheheh... uh. i mean. maybe? im not entirely sure yet.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You don’t know whether to be excited or upset. Could it be you? Well, it could be Toriel. Eugh, best not to think too hard. Laura is unaware of your internal plight. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Oooooooh who is it?? Spill the tea!” Stretch laughs at that</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“you got your turn, and you didnt say to tell you who.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>The game goes on and on like that. Blue ends up doing a one handed handstand, which makes his shirt ride up and spine show, which causes Laura to blush heavily. You somehow end up blindfolded, searching for your drink with one hand, the other behind your back. Stretch levitates Laura across the room, and at your insistence, you as well. Laura teaches the boys how to play patty cake. Then, all four of you spend a while making tiny flower crowns and hats for Spaghetti. The wine and orange juice steadily get more and more empty and the lot of you get steadily more drunk. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Leaning over about an hour later, you splat your whole hand directly on to Laura’s face. “We need music! We gotta sing a duet again!” Without removing your hand off her face, Laura cheers. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Let’s sing another Set It Off song!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You shake your head “Nah, you like Mariana’s Trench?? Lets do Stutter!” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>An inhuman squeal escapes her and she grabs her phone out to get the song going. Stretch and Blue share an amused, yet fond, look.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>The song starts up, and you throw your arm around Laura as you both sing the first line. Your voices are loud, more so than they should be.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“I KNOOOOOOOOOW </span><span><br/></span><span>I never make this easy! It's easy for you to disappear!” Blue and Stretch have to gently shush you, as to not wake the neighbors. The two of you rock back and forth as you sing, and Stretch pulls up an app on his phone that's literally just a gif of a flickering flame, and waves it in the air. Blue is bouncing a bit to the beat, and in a surprisingly baritone voice, joins in a few octaves lower than you two are singing in. You didn’t know he liked this song!</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Sunshiiiiine blinds you if you stare but</span><span><br/></span><span>Now I seeeee yeah crystal, crystal clear</span><span><br/></span><span>So here I aaaam, you can take or leave me</span><span><br/></span><span>But I won’t ever be anywhere but here”</span><span><br/></span> <span><br/></span><span>Not wanting to stop singing, you keep your surprise to yourself, but damn Blue can sing! He always speaks in such a loud, tenor voice that the gorgeous deep baritone he sang with was completely unexpected. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You and Laura end up laying back on the pillows, arms still around each other, as you sing the last line of the song quietly. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Stutter, stutter, stutter</span><span><br/></span><span>Di-di-di-di-di-di did I?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Laura passes out before you, and you sit for a few minutes just petting her hair. You’d always been the touchy feely sort, and it really comes out when you’re drunk. You hear the boys speaking in hushed voices, but you pay no attention to them as you look at Laura with adoring eyes. In the last few months, she’d become your best friend, your rock. Toriel is more of a mother figure, Laura had easily made her way to being the closest friend you think you’d ever had. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>You lean down and kiss the top of her head, whispering a quick “I love you, bestie.” before passing out with your arms around her. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Next to the two of you, Stretch and Blue are watching with soft smiles on their faces. Stretch nudges Blue. “you got some competition, eh?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Blue snorts, and speaks in a quiet whisper again. “If it made Laura happy, I wouldn’t mind. Though, I was informed that if your human liked women she would have tried.” Stretch’s face softens at Blue’s words. “stars blue, youre too sweet. also you gotta quit calling her ‘my’ human.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>An eyebrow lifts on Blue’s face, “But it’s true? I assume you are going to court her soon, she’ll be your datemate in no time!” For what seems like the thousandth time tonight, Stretch blushes a bright orange and frantically glances at you. Luckily, you and Laura are still sound asleep. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“i just got her back as a friend, bro. im happy with what we are.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Blue just shakes his head. </span><span><br/></span><span>“We’ll see.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“so, laura has feelings for her?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Stretch didn’t want Blue to feel like a second choice. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“Not anymore, Laura said that she’s a regular at the coffee shop she works at. Had a crush on her for a while and finally asked for her number, and not a week later found out she prefers men. She was a little disappointed, but didn’t hold it against her. Laura said it was just a little crush though, and it was easy to make those feelings into more platonic ones.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Nodding, Stretch leans back on the pillows. “youre okay with that?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Blue’s smile grows. “Of course! We can’t help what we feel. I am just grateful she returned my romantic feelings. Past feelings and relationships, and even current feelings, are all okay as long as they are communicated about by the couple.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Damn. When did Blue get so smart? </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>“was that in your dating manual?” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>A high pitched giggle comes out of Blue. “Oh stars, no! I threw that thing away months ago. After the failed date with Chara, I did a bit of separate research and realized the thing was very outdated.” </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Stretch chuckles fondly at his brother. He rolls over on his back, placing his hands behind his head and staring at the sheet that makes the roof of the pillow fort. He feels odd with his spine showing like it is, but doesn’t want to wake you to swap clothes back, nor does he want to go to his room to change. It’s fine, you can both change in the morning. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Blue joins him, laying facing you girls and watching the two of you sleep with a sleepy smile of his own. Stretch sighs. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>His thoughts turn to you, and how he feels about you. Now that he knows the two of you are soul mates, he can’t get it out of his mind. Are his feelings romantic? He thinks for a moment. He could see the two of you going on dates, holding hands, and obviously he has an attraction towards you. Like damn, you look good in his clothes as well. The way his sweater hangs off of your shoulders just so. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Your scent is nice too. Monsters have a bit more sensitive smell, even skeleton monsters. Each person and monster has their own unique smell, that comes off of their body through excess magic or sweat. You, you smell like the freshest baked vanilla cake. Sweet, and he imagines how soft you felt in his arms earlier. How happy he felt that you even gave him the time of day, the memory of your smile replaying in his head. Thoughts of how he really wants to be the one to make you smile more.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Oh. </span><em><span>Oh.</span></em><span> Okay yeah he has a crush. His eye sockets widen in realization, and he drags his fingers down his face with a groan. He doesn’t want to rush into asking you out, but his newfound feelings are begging him to do something. To ACT. Breathing deeply through his nasal cavity, he thinks things over. No, with everything that just happened to Blue and Laura, plus your freshly rekindled friendship, he doesn’t think he should make a move.</span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Being friends is enough. He nods to himself. He can handle being friends, supporting you how he had been before the fight. Now that he’s realized his feelings, he gets the urge to talk to Blue about it. </span><span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>However, when he turns to look at his brother, he finds the smaller skeleton fast asleep, with one hand reached out to touch Laura’s ankle,  the part of her closest to him. </span><em><span>Aww.</span></em> <span><br/></span><span><br/></span><span>Well, the talk can wait until morning. Rolling onto his other side, he scootches into the biggest available space in the fort. It ends up being closest to you, and he drifts off to sleep with your scent in his nose.</span></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I LIVE for platonic love, as well as romantic love. GIVE ME MORE PLATONIC CUDDLES DANGIT</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to Birby! (https://twitter.com/lee_yukayla) for their awesome rendition of US! Paps. Birby's art is exactly how I saw him looking in this fic, and they were kind enough to let me use their art as a reference for my fic.<br/>https://i.imgur.com/uZKXuRq.png<br/>https://i.imgur.com/CdcjBbB.gif</p></blockquote></div></div>
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